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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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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: stick · dip · press · degree · prune · pitch · perch · pop

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — to push
  9. degree — from a university
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. prune — to trim
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pop — music
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pop — soda
  18. pitch — completely
  19. perch — the fish
  20. prune — to trim
  21. dip — to sink
  22. degree — an amount
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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