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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. wake — a trail
  5. swing — to play on
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rush — hurry
  8. swing — music
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. press — newspapers
  13. file — a tool
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. press — to push
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pass — a permit
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. pitch — completely
  22. file — a document
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. fan — a supporter

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