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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. sharp — clever
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. rock — a stone
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. capital — a city
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitch — completely
  21. rock — music
  22. press — to push
  23. capital — money
  24. hide — animal skin

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