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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. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. sharp — clever
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — crushed
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — the tool
  11. wake — a trail
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — to crush
  14. saw — the tool
  15. press — to push
  16. squash — the sport
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ground — the earth
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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