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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. file — a tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. press — a publisher
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. press — newspapers
  11. court — of a king
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — to sink
  15. file — a document
  16. court — for sport
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. file — a line of people
  22. toast — bread
  23. rush — hurry
  24. dip — to dunk

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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