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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. press — to push
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. season — in sport
  11. pit — in a race
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. season — of the year
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. rush — hurry
  22. press — a publisher
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pitcher — a jug

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