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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. press — to push
  4. land — a country
  5. press — newspapers
  6. firm — steady
  7. tube — the underground
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a tool
  10. firm — a company
  11. file — a document
  12. press — a publisher
  13. track — a path
  14. roll — a cake
  15. land — to come down
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. firm — decided
  19. roll — a list
  20. land — ground
  21. tube — a container
  22. track — to keep track
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. track — a song

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