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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  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. band — a music group
  2. sharp — clever
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pit — in a race
  5. stand — to bear
  6. date — the fruit
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. pit — a hole
  10. band — a ring
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chair — a leader
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — a publisher
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. press — to push
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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