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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. press — to push
  3. prune — to trim
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — to breed
  7. squash — to crush
  8. mate — a partner
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. squash — the sport
  14. press — a publisher
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. press — newspapers
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pit — in a race
  21. lie — to recline
  22. branch — a division
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. branch — of a tree

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