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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.

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: press · bear · coach · can · season · bark · pitch · cell

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. 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. can — a tin
  2. cell — in biology
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. season — of the year
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bear — the animal
  13. bear — the animal
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — in sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. cell — a phone
  18. press — to push
  19. bark — to shout
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. press — newspapers
  22. can — a tin
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. 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