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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — a series
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. game — a match
  9. stem — to come from
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. press — to push
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. rock — a stone
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. rock — music
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rash — hasty

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