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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.

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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. firm — a company
  4. scale — in music
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. squash — the sport
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. firm — steady
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — music
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — newspapers
  14. squash — to crush
  15. firm — decided
  16. pop — soda
  17. press — to push
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — to visit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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