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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: game · suit · present · press · swing · pit · squash · mate

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pit — in a race
  3. swing — to play on
  4. present — there
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. present — the time now
  10. mate — to breed
  11. game — wild animals
  12. squash — the sport
  13. mate — a friend
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. press — to push
  16. present — a gift
  17. press — a publisher
  18. squash — to crush
  19. swing — music
  20. game — a match
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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