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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. march — music
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. press — a publisher
  5. march — the month
  6. branch — a division
  7. press — to push
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. pitch — completely
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. march — the month
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. wake — a trail
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — newspapers
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pass — a permit

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