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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: pitch · wake · field · perch · wave · press · stand · tube

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — completely
  3. tube — a container
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — newspapers
  6. tube — the underground
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. perch — the fish
  11. stand — to bear
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. press — to push
  18. field — a subject
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. field — farmland
  23. wake — a trail
  24. pitch — a sports field

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