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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. race — a contest
  5. pit — a hole
  6. rock — a stone
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. press — a publisher
  9. race — humankind
  10. swing — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. swing — in golf
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. swing — to play on
  15. scale — in music
  16. race — the arms race
  17. press — to push
  18. tube — the underground
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. rock — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. tube — a container
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. press — newspapers

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