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

Word bank: cold · bay · pitcher · row · press · suit · ruler · charge

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. press — to push
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cold — not warm
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. charge — electricity
  14. cold — an illness
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. charge — a price
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. charge — in control
  20. suit — in cards
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. row — to paddle
  23. suit — to fit
  24. row — a line

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