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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. present — the time now
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. present — there
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. lie — to recline
  8. press — to push
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — a hole
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. bat — the animal
  15. perch — the fish
  16. pit — in a race
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. chip — for betting
  20. present — a gift
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. press — newspapers
  24. chip — to eat

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