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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — to breed
  6. press — to push
  7. chair — a leader
  8. press — newspapers
  9. mate — a partner
  10. pit — a hole
  11. deal — to handle
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. pit — in a race
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. mate — a friend

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