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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 116 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rest — what's left
  4. last — final
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fine — all right
  10. can — to be able to
  11. last — finally
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. deal — to handle
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. press — to push
  19. last — to go on
  20. rest — what's left
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. rest — a break
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. can — a tin

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