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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. snap — to click
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — crushed
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. ground — the earth
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. ground — a position
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. press — to push
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — newspapers

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