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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a document
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. cue — for pool
  5. row — a line
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cue — a signal
  8. cue — a hint
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. row — to paddle
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. file — a line of people
  18. file — a tool
  19. mark — a trace
  20. pitch — completely
  21. press — newspapers
  22. deal — to handle
  23. rush — hurry
  24. mark — a grade

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