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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitch · press · pop · bear · kid · patient

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. kid — to tease
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — child
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pop — music
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — to push
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pop — soda

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com