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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. pop — music
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — a grade
  6. press — newspapers
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. wake — a trail
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pop — soda
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. tear — from crying
  15. press — a publisher
  16. tear — to rip
  17. swing — to play on
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. swing — music
  21. swing — in golf
  22. pop — to visit
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitch — completely

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