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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 116 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: can · pitch · press · sharp · land · bulb · stem · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. land — ground
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. sharp — clever
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. can — a tin
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. swing — in golf
  10. land — a country
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. stem — to come from
  13. press — to push
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. land — to come down
  16. bulb — for light
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — completely
  22. swing — music
  23. can — to be able to
  24. can — a tin

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