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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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. field — a subject
  5. wind — moving air
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. pit — in a race
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. press — to push
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — a permit
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — the animal
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. pit — a hole
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. dip — to sink
  22. field — for sport
  23. field — farmland
  24. mouse — the animal

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