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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. land — ground
  7. press — to push
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. bank — of a river
  10. land — to come down
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — a series
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — for money
  16. board — to get on
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mark — a grade
  19. land — a country
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. mark — a trace
  24. board — a committee

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