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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: press · straw · staff · object · stick · pitch · rule · tube

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. press — to push
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. tube — the underground
  5. object — to protest
  6. staff — employees
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. press — a publisher
  11. tube — a container
  12. staff — employees
  13. pitch — completely
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — a law
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rule — government
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — newspapers
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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