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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. bear — the animal
  5. rash — hasty
  6. court — for sport
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. press — a publisher
  13. press — to push
  14. pitch — completely
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. court — of law
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — of a king
  21. press — newspapers
  22. rash — a series
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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