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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. suit — clothes
  4. press — a publisher
  5. scale — in music
  6. press — to push
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. pit — a hole
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. suit — to fit
  11. press — newspapers
  12. suit — in cards
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ball — a great time
  16. degree — temperature
  17. scale — size or range
  18. degree — an amount
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. stock — goods
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stock — shares
  24. degree — from a university

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