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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. press — newspapers
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. press — to push
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. can — to be able to
  10. capital — a city
  11. mate — a partner
  12. can — a tin
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — hurry
  15. net — after costs
  16. press — a publisher
  17. net — for catching
  18. capital — money
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. mate — a friend
  22. can — a tin
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. pitch — a sports field

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