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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: toast · press · fork · pit · pitch · wake · fine · bore

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. toast — bread
  4. pit — a hole
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bore — to drill
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. wake — a trail
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. bore — to tire
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — to push

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