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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · fan · degree · rest · suit · pass · row · pitch

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. row — to paddle
  3. pass — a permit
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pitch — completely
  8. degree — from a university
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. rest — a break
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. suit — clothes
  14. degree — an amount
  15. press — a publisher
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. press — newspapers
  22. row — a line
  23. degree — temperature
  24. suit — to fit

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