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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: squash · press · suit · present · sharp · last · pitcher · pit

  1. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. squash — to crush
  5. last — finally
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. press — to push
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. suit — to fit
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. present — there
  14. press — newspapers
  15. suit — clothes
  16. squash — the sport
  17. present — a gift
  18. last — to go on
  19. pit — a hole
  20. suit — in cards
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. last — final
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. present — the time now

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