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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — a phone
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. wound — an injury
  15. rush — hurry
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bulb — for light
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. stand — on your feet

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