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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 · stand · mouse · press · pit · bear · racket · content

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. lean — to bend
  3. bear — the animal
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. content — the amount
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pit — a hole
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. lean — thin
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. pit — in a race
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bear — the animal
  19. press — newspapers
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. content — happy
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — to rest against

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