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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The ________________ took off on time.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. plane — an aircraft
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. march — music
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. march — the month
  8. net — after costs
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. net — for catching
  11. net — in sport
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — to push
  14. plane — a tool
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. march — the month

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