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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. press — newspapers
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pit — a hole
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. last — to go on
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. kid — to tease
  12. kid — child
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. last — final
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. last — finally
  19. pit — in a race
  20. saw — the tool
  21. bat — the animal
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. press — a publisher

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