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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kid — child
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — the season
  6. kid — to tease
  7. dip — to sink
  8. current — of water
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mate — a partner
  17. mate — a friend
  18. fall — to drop
  19. current — electric
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — to breed
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. coach — a trainer

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