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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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — not warm
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. cold — an illness
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. press — to push
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — completely
  16. press — a publisher
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. charge — a price
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. charge — electricity
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. charge — in control
  24. toast — bread

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