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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. court — of a king
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. court — for sport
  5. press — a publisher
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chip — to eat
  8. present — there
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pound — a weight
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. bass — the fish
  13. present — the time now
  14. chip — for betting
  15. court — of law
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. bass — low music
  18. pop — music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. press — to push
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — completely
  23. press — newspapers
  24. pop — soda

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