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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. press — a publisher
  3. drill — army training
  4. press — to push
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. object — a thing
  8. object — to protest
  9. drill — a practice
  10. suit — clothes
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. drill — the tool
  15. squash — the sport
  16. field — a subject
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitch — completely
  19. chair — a leader
  20. squash — to crush
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. press — newspapers
  23. object — an aim
  24. suit — to fit

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