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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — in a race
  4. suit — clothes
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pound — a weight
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — happy
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. suit — in cards
  13. press — newspapers
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — a publisher
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. suit — to fit
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. hand — in cards
  22. press — to push
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. content — the amount

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