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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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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: firm · mark · snap · pitch · bear · press · racket · pound

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. firm — steady
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. snap — to click
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mark — a trace
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. press — to push
  14. bear — the animal
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — newspapers
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. firm — a company
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. firm — decided
  24. racket — for tennis

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