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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. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. present — a gift
  7. court — of law
  8. court — for sport
  9. press — to push
  10. last — finally
  11. ground — the earth
  12. last — to go on
  13. present — the time now
  14. press — a publisher
  15. court — of a king
  16. pitch — completely
  17. present — there
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. ground — crushed
  20. mark — a grade
  21. wound — an injury
  22. ground — a position
  23. last — final
  24. mark — to pay attention

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