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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: pitch · row · mate · press · snap · fork

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. row — a line
  7. fork — in a road
  8. snap — to click
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. mate — to breed
  11. press — newspapers
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. row — to paddle
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. mate — a partner

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