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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. press — a publisher
  4. scale — in music
  5. press — newspapers
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. tube — a container
  8. degree — an amount
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. scale — size or range
  14. content — the amount
  15. degree — temperature
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — to push
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. bulb — for light
  20. content — happy
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. tube — the underground
  24. pitch — a sports field

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