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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. race — the arms race
  3. pitch — completely
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — to push
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. ball — a dance
  10. saw — the tool
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — a publisher
  16. race — a contest
  17. press — newspapers
  18. race — humankind
  19. season — in sport
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. season — of the year
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. ball — a round shape

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