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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 120 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: present · cue · lash · press · pitch · stick

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. cue — a hint
  5. press — to push
  6. cue — a signal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. press — a publisher
  10. cue — for pool
  11. present — a gift
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. present — there
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. press — newspapers
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. pitch — a sales talk

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