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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: pitch · stand · chip · bear · press · mark · leaves · chest

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. chest — of your body
  3. press — to push
  4. chip — to eat
  5. mark — a trace
  6. chest — of your body
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — the animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mark — a grade
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. chest — a box
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bear — to put up with

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