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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a hole
  3. hand — in cards
  4. key — for a lock
  5. row — to paddle
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. row — a line
  10. pit — in a race
  11. press — newspapers
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — the most important part
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. lean — thin
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — to push
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lean — to bend
  23. hand — help
  24. key — in music

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