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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: bat · season · press · rush · calf · pitch · firm · fork

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. firm — a company
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. press — a publisher
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. season — of the year
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. firm — decided
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. bat — the animal
  16. firm — steady
  17. season — in sport
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — newspapers
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — to push
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. calf — a young animal

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