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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. saw — the tool
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. saw — the tool
  10. rush — hurry
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. deal — to handle
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. game — wild animals
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. track — a song
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. game — a match
  23. track — a path
  24. rush — a thrill

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