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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: bear · wake · bound · pitch · tear · press · season · fork

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bound — certain
  4. season — in sport
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — of the year
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wake — a trail
  11. bound — obliged
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tear — to rip
  14. press — to push
  15. bear — the animal
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. bound — tied together
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fork — in a road
  24. tear — from crying

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