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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. ground — crushed
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. ground — a position
  9. press — a publisher
  10. squash — to crush
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. saw — the tool
  13. press — to push
  14. wake — a trail
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. pitch — completely
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. ground — the earth

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