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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: key · pitch · stand · roll · content · press · toast · field

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. key — the most important part
  3. press — newspapers
  4. roll — a cake
  5. field — a subject
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. field — farmland
  9. content — happy
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. key — for a lock
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — bread
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. roll — a list
  16. content — the amount
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — to push
  20. toast — the most admired
  21. stand — to bear
  22. field — for sport
  23. key — in music
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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