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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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 — completely
  2. season — of the year
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. branch — a division
  6. plane — a tool
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. sharp — clever
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. ball — a great time
  16. press — newspapers
  17. ball — a dance
  18. season — in sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. press — to push
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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