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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. press — to push
  5. pit — in a race
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. mine — for digging
  8. key — in music
  9. fall — to drop
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. bark — to shout
  15. key — the most important part
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. fall — to drop
  21. press — a publisher
  22. fall — the season
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. hand — part of the body

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