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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 · content · pitch · club · row · mug · press · rule

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. pitch — completely
  3. rule — a law
  4. lean — thin
  5. rule — government
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. content — happy
  8. mug — a cup
  9. row — a line
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. press — to push
  13. club — a group
  14. row — to paddle
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. club — for golf
  18. mug — to rob
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mug — a face
  22. content — the amount
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — newspapers

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