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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.

Make a worksheet

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

Words on the sheet
468
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: tube · press · mine · wound · racket · pitch · mug · stand

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — an injury
  4. tube — a container
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stand — to bear
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. mug — a face
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wound — an injury
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tube — the underground
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. mug — a cup
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — newspapers
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. pitch — completely
  24. press — to push

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