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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: fork · pop · suit · press · pitcher · hide · last · mark

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — to push
  5. suit — in cards
  6. mark — a grade
  7. last — final
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mark — a trace
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. fork — in a road
  13. press — a publisher
  14. last — finally
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. suit — to fit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. pop — soda
  23. press — newspapers
  24. suit — clothes

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