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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pitch · current · hide · clip · row · season · suit

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. row — a line
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. press — to push
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. season — in sport
  8. clip — a video
  9. current — of water
  10. clip — to cut
  11. season — of the year
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. suit — in cards
  16. clip — for paper
  17. suit — to fit
  18. pitch — completely
  19. suit — clothes
  20. current — electric
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — newspapers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. press — a publisher

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