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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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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: bear · board · bound · press · last · field · deal · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  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. press — to push
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — to get on
  4. bound — obliged
  5. press — a publisher
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. last — final
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. field — for sport
  10. press — newspapers
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — to handle
  13. field — a subject
  14. bound — tied together
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. board — a committee
  17. bear — the animal
  18. last — to go on
  19. bound — certain
  20. bear — the animal
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. field — farmland
  23. last — finally
  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