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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: stand · bay · pitch · press · bear · hand · prune · firm

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. pitch — completely
  3. prune — to trim
  4. firm — a company
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. bear — the animal
  11. firm — decided
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hand — in cards
  14. prune — to trim
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. stand — to bear
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. firm — steady
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stand — for spectators

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