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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. cap — of ice
  3. track — to keep track
  4. press — newspapers
  5. track — a song
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — in cards
  8. file — a line of people
  9. press — a publisher
  10. suit — to fit
  11. object — to protest
  12. suit — clothes
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. track — a path
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. object — a thing
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. press — to push
  19. cap — a hat
  20. file — a document
  21. object — an aim
  22. cap — a lid
  23. pitch — completely
  24. file — a tool

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