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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pound — a weight
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. content — happy
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. press — to push
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rash — hasty
  15. content — the amount
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — a hole
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. rash — a series
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. press — newspapers

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