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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: bowl · pitch · lean · cell · press · bear · trunk · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. press — a publisher
  6. bear — the animal
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. press — to push
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lean — thin
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. pitch — completely
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. press — newspapers
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. cell — a phone
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. trunk — of a tree

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