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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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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. saw — the tool
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mine — for digging
  8. mug — a face
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. pitch — completely
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. press — to push
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. press — newspapers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mug — a cup
  18. land — a country
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. land — ground
  22. saw — the tool
  23. mug — to rob
  24. bay — a horse colour

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