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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cold · press · board · pitch · content · trunk · can · pass

  1. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  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. content — the amount
  2. can — to be able to
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. cold — an illness
  8. press — newspapers
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. press — to push
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. board — a committee
  14. can — a tin
  15. pass — a permit
  16. board — to get on
  17. cold — the Cold War
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. cold — not warm
  21. can — a tin
  22. content — happy
  23. pitch — a sports field
  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