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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 116 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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a line
  8. pitch — completely
  9. scale — in music
  10. spell — letters
  11. spell — a short time
  12. row — a quarrel
  13. content — the amount
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. pit — a hole
  16. content — happy
  17. pit — in a race
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. row — to paddle
  21. spell — magic
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. press — a publisher

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