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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 · pitch · suit · firm · date · pop · perch · staff

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. suit — in cards
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. staff — employees
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — decided
  7. press — a publisher
  8. date — the fruit
  9. suit — clothes
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. staff — a stick
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. press — newspapers
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pop — music
  18. suit — to fit
  19. press — to push
  20. perch — the fish
  21. pop — to visit
  22. firm — steady
  23. firm — a company
  24. pop — soda

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