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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. press — to push
  6. row — to paddle
  7. squash — to crush
  8. bear — the animal
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. row — a line
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. press — newspapers
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — a phone
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — on a finger
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. squash — the sport

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