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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: cue · press · suit · cold · pitch · mark · staff · calf

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — a stick
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. cold — not warm
  12. suit — clothes
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pitch — completely
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cue — for pool
  19. press — a publisher
  20. suit — in cards
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. staff — employees
  23. press — to push
  24. cold — an illness

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