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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — soda
  4. drill — a practice
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. press — a publisher
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. pop — to visit
  9. pop — music
  10. board — a committee
  11. press — newspapers
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. drill — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. wake — a trail
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. board — to get on
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. press — to push
  24. drill — army training

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