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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 120 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: lean · pound · press · chair · pitch · safe

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. press — a publisher
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. press — to push
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. lean — thin
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. press — newspapers
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. chair — a leader
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pound — a weight
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. pitch — completely

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