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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. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. pit — a hole
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. capital — a city
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. suit — clothes
  11. press — a publisher
  12. suit — in cards
  13. rule — government
  14. pit — in a race
  15. squash — the sport
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. face — to point toward
  19. capital — money
  20. face — part of the head
  21. squash — to crush
  22. suit — to fit
  23. face — to confront
  24. press — to push

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