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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. mark — a grade
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. press — to push
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bore — to drill
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bore — to tire
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. prune — to trim
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bat — the animal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. pit — a hole
  19. ground — a position
  20. mark — a trace
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pit — in a race
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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