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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: bulb · pitch · stand · cue · press · leaves · bound · straw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. cue — a hint
  3. press — a publisher
  4. press — to push
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. cue — a signal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. bound — certain
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bulb — for light
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bound — obliged
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. stand — to bear
  24. press — newspapers

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