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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 116 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 · bark · press · pitch · rush · track · racket · hide

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bark — to shout
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. track — a path
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pitch — completely
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. track — a song
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. press — a publisher
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. lean — to bend
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. track — to keep track
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. lean — thin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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