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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 always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. toast — bread
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. drill — the tool
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — a publisher
  13. last — finally
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — final
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ground — a position
  18. pitch — completely
  19. ground — crushed
  20. ground — the earth
  21. press — to push
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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