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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. press — a publisher
  3. ball — a great time
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. band — a ring
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. field — for sport
  9. press — newspapers
  10. ball — a dance
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. field — a subject
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. field — farmland
  16. charge — electricity
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pitch — completely
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — in control
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — to push

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