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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Biology is a ________________ of science.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cell — in biology
  3. press — to push
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. squash — to crush
  11. press — newspapers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. press — a publisher
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  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