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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: bear · toast · pitch · kick · present · track · mouse · press

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  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. toast — the most admired
  2. track — a song
  3. track — a path
  4. kick — in football
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. track — to keep track
  7. press — newspapers
  8. present — there
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. toast — bread
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. present — a gift
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bear — the animal
  22. press — to push
  23. mouse — the animal
  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