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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: bore · pitch · cell · pop · stick · press

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — soda
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. bore — to tire
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. press — to push
  8. bore — to drill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pitch — completely
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. press — a publisher

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