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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. press — to push
  3. firm — decided
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. charge — electricity
  6. charge — a price
  7. firm — a company
  8. file — a tool
  9. press — a publisher
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. charge — in control
  13. last — final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. key — in music
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. key — the most important part
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. file — a document
  22. file — a line of people
  23. firm — steady
  24. press — newspapers

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