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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. spell — magic
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bat — the animal
  11. fine — all right
  12. press — a publisher
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. bound — tied together
  16. spell — letters
  17. fine — high quality
  18. game — wild animals
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. game — a match
  22. bound — certain
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mouse — the animal

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