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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  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. pound — to hit hard
  3. saw — the tool
  4. press — newspapers
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. press — to push
  8. degree — from a university
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. craft — boats
  11. rush — hurry
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. degree — temperature
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pit — in a race
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. pound — a weight
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pit — a hole
  20. degree — an amount
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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