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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. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — completely
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. craft — boats
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. fine — all right
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — to push
  10. fine — high quality
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. fall — to drop
  13. stem — to come from
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. fall — to drop
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. saw — the tool
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. press — newspapers
  21. craft — a skill
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. saw — the tool
  24. ruler — a monarch

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