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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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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 · jam · can · perch · press · deal · hide · chest

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. can — to be able to
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — a box
  7. can — a tin
  8. chest — of your body
  9. deal — to handle
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. can — a tin
  12. press — to push
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitch — completely
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. chest — of your body
  24. perch — the fish

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