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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cell — in biology
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cell — a phone
  8. charge — a price
  9. object — to protest
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. charge — electricity
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. object — a thing
  15. charge — in control
  16. press — newspapers
  17. object — an aim
  18. press — to push
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pitch — completely
  23. dip — to sink
  24. dip — to dunk

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