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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: temple · wake · pitch · stick · press · mug · stand · land

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. land — ground
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. mug — a face
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. stand — to bear
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. press — newspapers
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. land — a country
  19. land — to come down
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. press — to push
  22. wake — a trail
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mug — to rob

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