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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — newspapers
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. press — to push
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. squash — the sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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