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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. bulb — for light
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — to push
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. key — the most important part
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. sharp — clever
  19. spell — letters
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. hand — in cards
  23. key — in music
  24. hand — help

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