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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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pit — a hole
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. pit — in a race
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. staff — employees
  9. staff — a stick
  10. press — to push
  11. staff — employees
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. deal — to handle
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. drill — army training
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rash — a series
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. drill — a practice
  24. deal — an agreement

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