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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. press — a publisher
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. fine — high quality
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. press — to push
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer

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