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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. press — to push
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. can — to be able to
  6. hand — help
  7. can — a tin
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. hand — in cards
  11. can — a tin
  12. pit — a hole
  13. press — a publisher
  14. object — to protest
  15. press — newspapers
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. craft — boats
  18. object — an aim
  19. object — a thing
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. sharp — clever
  24. craft — a skill

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