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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. fork — in a road
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. bank — of a river
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. snap — to click
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pit — in a race
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bank — for money
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bound — obliged
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bank — for money
  22. bound — certain
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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