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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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pound — a weight
  3. row — a line
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. press — to push
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. press — a publisher
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. press — newspapers
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. cap — of ice
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. row — to paddle
  18. cap — a lid
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cap — a hat
  24. branch — a division

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