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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: squash · season · branch · pitch · press · race · stand · cabinet

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. squash — the sport
  3. race — the arms race
  4. branch — a division
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. season — in sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. season — of the year
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pitch — completely
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. press — to push
  19. race — a contest
  20. squash — to crush
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. race — humankind
  24. branch — of a tree

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