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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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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. perch — the fish
  3. swing — music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. firm — steady
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. press — to push
  8. swing — in golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. squash — to crush
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. pit — a hole
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. press — a publisher
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. squash — the sport
  23. firm — decided
  24. squash — the vegetable

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