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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pop — music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mate — to breed
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pop — soda
  9. mate — a partner
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — a publisher
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. kid — child
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. press — newspapers
  21. branch — a division
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. press — to push
  24. arm — a part of something

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