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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. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. file — a document
  4. pitch — completely
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. season — of the year
  13. file — a line of people
  14. game — wild animals
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. game — a match
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. press — a publisher
  20. season — in sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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