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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: chair · pitch · cue · press · swing · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. swing — to play on
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. swing — in golf
  7. date — the fruit
  8. cue — a hint
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — for pool
  11. press — newspapers
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cue — a signal
  14. chair — a leader
  15. press — to push
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. swing — music
  18. chair — a professorship

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