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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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. race — the arms race
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — in sport
  11. press — to push
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. race — a contest
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. race — humankind
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. season — of the year
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — completely
  21. wake — a trail
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. ruler — a monarch

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