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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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 — a sales talk
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. fall — the season
  5. press — to push
  6. ball — a dance
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. press — a publisher
  9. rock — a stone
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. present — a gift
  12. pitch — completely
  13. press — newspapers
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. rock — music
  17. plane — a tool
  18. present — the time now
  19. fall — to drop
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. fall — to drop
  22. ball — a great time
  23. present — there
  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