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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: mug · calf · present · pitch · court · fan · snap · press

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. press — to push
  3. court — of law
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. court — of a king
  6. press — a publisher
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mug — to rob
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. present — a gift
  18. snap — to click
  19. mug — a cup
  20. present — the time now
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — there
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. fan — to cool the air

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