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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. field — farmland
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. last — final
  11. press — to push
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. field — a subject
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. press — newspapers
  18. scale — in music
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. scale — size or range
  21. last — finally
  22. field — for sport
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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