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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: jam · suit · pop · pitch · press · wake · hide · mate

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. pop — soda
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. pop — music
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mate — a partner
  9. press — to push
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pop — to visit
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. suit — in cards
  16. wake — a trail
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. press — newspapers
  24. hide — to keep secret

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