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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. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pop — music
  9. press — newspapers
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pop — soda
  12. press — a publisher
  13. rock — a stone
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. spell — letters
  16. chest — a box
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. press — to push
  19. spell — magic
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pit — in a race
  22. rock — music
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. chest — of your 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