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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 120 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. net — for catching
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. press — to push
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. spell — a short time
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. net — after costs
  16. spell — letters
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitch — completely
  21. lie — to recline
  22. fork — in a road
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. ruler — for measuring

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