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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. object — an aim
  3. object — to protest
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. season — of the year
  8. press — a publisher
  9. prune — to trim
  10. content — happy
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. content — the amount
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. season — in sport
  15. pitch — completely
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. press — newspapers
  21. object — a thing
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. prune — to trim
  24. prune — the fruit

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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