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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. chest — a box
  3. pitch — completely
  4. chest — of your body
  5. track — a path
  6. court — of law
  7. mug — to rob
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. press — a publisher
  11. chest — of your body
  12. court — of a king
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. race — a contest
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. race — the arms race
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. race — humankind
  20. branch — a division
  21. press — newspapers
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. mug — a face
  24. court — for sport

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