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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pop — soda
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bear — the animal
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. pop — music
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — in music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. press — to push
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. key — for a lock
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. key — the most important part
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. mine — for digging
  23. bear — the animal
  24. dip — to sink

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