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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. file — a document
  3. present — a gift
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bat — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. pop — soda
  10. net — in sport
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. present — the time now
  13. file — a line of people
  14. press — newspapers
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. pop — to visit
  17. press — to push
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — music
  20. net — after costs
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. file — a tool
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. present — there

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