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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — a song
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. hand — help
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. press — to push
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — newspapers
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. suit — clothes
  18. track — to keep track
  19. suit — in cards
  20. ground — crushed
  21. mine — for digging
  22. track — a path
  23. ground — a position
  24. mine — belonging to me

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