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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 120 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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pass — a permit
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rule — government
  9. press — to push
  10. rule — a law
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. season — of the year
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. season — in sport
  24. bulb — of a plant

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