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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — a publisher
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. net — after costs
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wind — moving air
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. prune — to trim
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. prune — to trim
  17. stand — to bear
  18. net — in sport
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. net — for catching
  21. wind — moving air
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. ruler — for measuring

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