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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. press — a publisher
  4. spell — a short time
  5. firm — a company
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. spell — letters
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. press — to push
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. foot — a measure
  14. squash — to crush
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pitch — completely
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. firm — decided
  21. spell — magic
  22. press — newspapers
  23. ball — a dance
  24. firm — steady

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