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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.

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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. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. pass — a permit
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. fine — all right
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. craft — boats
  11. file — a tool
  12. press — a publisher
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. charge — a price
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — newspapers
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. craft — a skill
  19. file — a line of people
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. charge — electricity
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. file — a document
  24. charge — in control

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