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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. capital — money
  3. rush — hurry
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. plane — a tool
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. track — to keep track
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. press — to push
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. lean — to bend
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pitch — completely
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. track — a song
  19. track — a path
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. capital — a city
  22. lean — thin
  23. press — newspapers
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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