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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. game — wild animals
  4. game — a match
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — a container
  8. press — to push
  9. ground — crushed
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. press — newspapers
  12. ground — the earth
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. ground — a position
  17. rule — a law
  18. stand — to bear
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. kid — child
  22. kid — to tease
  23. press — a publisher
  24. rule — government

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