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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: press · mug · pitch · file · last · fan · kick · deal

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mug — to rob
  3. press — a publisher
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. last — final
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. file — a tool
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. last — finally
  10. deal — to handle
  11. mug — a cup
  12. press — to push
  13. mug — a face
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. file — a line of people
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. file — a document
  20. press — newspapers
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. kick — in football
  24. last — to go on

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