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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. cue — a signal
  8. key — for a lock
  9. press — to push
  10. lean — thin
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. press — a publisher
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bat — the animal
  19. row — a line
  20. press — newspapers
  21. row — to paddle
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. lean — to bend

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