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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 116 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — a hole
  4. present — a gift
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. pit — in a race
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. rule — a law
  10. hand — in cards
  11. present — the time now
  12. root — of a word
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — to push
  17. root — of a plant
  18. present — there
  19. rule — government
  20. root — the cause
  21. mine — for digging
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. pound — a weight
  24. press — a publisher

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