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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · mine · bulb · object · press · fork · pitch · can

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — to be able to
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. press — newspapers
  8. object — to protest
  9. mine — for digging
  10. press — to push
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. object — a thing
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. can — a tin
  16. fine — high quality
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. bulb — for light
  21. object — an aim
  22. can — a tin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitch — completely

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