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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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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 · board · hand · stem · bound · press · content · suit

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. content — the amount
  4. hand — in cards
  5. stem — to come from
  6. bound — tied together
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bound — certain
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. press — to push
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bound — obliged
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. suit — to fit
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. board — a committee
  19. content — happy
  20. suit — clothes
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. board — to get on
  23. hand — help
  24. suit — in cards

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