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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mate · bear · bore · lean · pass · pitch · bowl · press

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mate — a partner
  3. bore — to tire
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. lean — to bend
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. lean — thin
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. mate — a friend
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. press — to push
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bear — the animal
  17. press — newspapers
  18. pass — a permit
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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