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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 120 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. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pit — in a race
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bark — to shout
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pop — to visit
  11. pop — music
  12. pop — soda
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. squash — to crush
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — a leader
  22. press — to push
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. press — a publisher

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