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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — a position
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — a publisher
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. saw — the tool
  16. ground — crushed
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. saw — the tool
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. bulb — of a plant

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