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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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — a publisher
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stock — goods
  12. stock — shares
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pit — a hole
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. present — a gift
  18. press — to push
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. present — there
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — low music
  24. bass — the instrument

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