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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. shower — rain
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. craft — a skill
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. shower — to wash
  10. press — to push
  11. pit — a hole
  12. craft — boats
  13. ground — a position
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. press — newspapers
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. pit — in a race
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. snap — to click
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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