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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: present · last · pitch · bear · press · deal · straw · cap

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. last — finally
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. present — a gift
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — newspapers
  9. present — the time now
  10. last — to go on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. bear — the animal
  14. cap — a lid
  15. deal — to handle
  16. pitch — completely
  17. press — to push
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — a publisher
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. last — final

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