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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. pitch — completely
  3. press — newspapers
  4. spring — the season
  5. last — finally
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. game — a match
  9. swing — in golf
  10. press — to push
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. press — a publisher
  14. spring — a coil
  15. spring — of water
  16. last — to go on
  17. foot — a measure
  18. last — final
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. game — wild animals
  21. swing — music
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. swing — to play on

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