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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. bear — the animal
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. track — a path
  7. press — to push
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. pass — a permit
  11. pit — a hole
  12. bear — the animal
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. track — a song
  18. press — a publisher
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — of water
  21. spring — a coil
  22. spring — the season
  23. press — newspapers
  24. fan — a supporter

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