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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. present — there
  4. press — to push
  5. present — a gift
  6. court — for sport
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. snap — to click
  10. pitch — completely
  11. court — of a king
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. fall — to drop
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. fall — to drop
  17. court — of law
  18. rush — hurry
  19. fall — the season
  20. present — the time now
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. press — a publisher
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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