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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. mine — for digging
  4. press — to push
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — soda
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hand — help
  9. chair — a leader
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. press — newspapers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. pit — in a race
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. press — a publisher
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. pop — to visit
  20. hand — in cards
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. pit — a hole
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. pop — music

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