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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.

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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: press · hide · clip · tube · pitch · spring · rule · stand

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. spring — the season
  3. rule — government
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. tube — a container
  8. clip — a video
  9. stand — to bear
  10. clip — to cut
  11. spring — of water
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. spring — a coil
  19. tube — the underground
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — a law
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. clip — for paper

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