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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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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 · rest · ruler · stem · race · bear · pitch · arm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bear — the animal
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. race — a contest
  9. rest — what's left
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bear — the animal
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. race — humankind
  24. stem — a stem cell

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