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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. deal — to handle
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. rush — hurry
  10. pitch — completely
  11. press — to push
  12. wind — moving air
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. press — newspapers
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. wind — moving air

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