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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. toast — bread
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. last — final
  7. press — newspapers
  8. track — a song
  9. track — to keep track
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. pitch — completely
  12. press — a publisher
  13. track — a path
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rule — government
  16. last — finally
  17. rule — a law
  18. last — to go on
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. press — to push
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. ball — a dance
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rule — to rule out

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