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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bass — low music
  4. pit — in a race
  5. spell — magic
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. cue — a hint
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. spell — letters
  10. pit — a hole
  11. cue — a signal
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. cue — for pool
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bass — the fish
  16. press — a publisher
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. lean — to bend
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. spell — a short time
  23. press — to push
  24. lean — thin

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