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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. mate — a friend
  3. clip — for paper
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. clip — to cut
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. stock — shares
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. mate — a partner
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stock — goods
  20. clip — a video
  21. press — to push
  22. mate — to breed
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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