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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: toast · press · fork · pit · pitch · wake

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. pit — a hole
  3. fork — in a road
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. press — to push
  6. wake — a trail
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. toast — the most admired

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