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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: press · row · suit · pitch · rush · chest · current · craft

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. craft — boats
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. rush — hurry
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. craft — a skill
  8. row — to paddle
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — a line
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — a publisher
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — a box
  17. current — happening now
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. current — electric
  20. suit — in cards
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. suit — to fit
  23. current — of water
  24. chest — of your body

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