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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — there
  3. cell — in biology
  4. root — the cause
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. present — the time now
  8. season — in sport
  9. firm — a company
  10. pitch — completely
  11. firm — decided
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. press — a publisher
  14. firm — steady
  15. root — of a plant
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. press — newspapers
  22. present — a gift
  23. craft — boats
  24. root — of a word

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