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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. charge — electricity
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rule — government
  10. scale — in music
  11. rule — a law
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — in cards
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ground — a position
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. pitch — completely
  20. charge — in control
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — to push
  23. charge — a price
  24. ground — crushed

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