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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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. fork — to eat with
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. wake — a trail
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tear — from crying
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. tear — to rip
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — the sport
  20. squash — to crush
  21. press — to push
  22. tear — from crying
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. fork — in a road

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