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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: pitcher · kick · press · present · suit · charge · stand · rush

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. present — there
  7. charge — electricity
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. suit — in cards
  10. present — the time now
  11. stand — to bear
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. charge — a price
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. rush — hurry
  19. suit — clothes
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. charge — in control
  23. suit — to fit
  24. press — to push

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