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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. press — newspapers
  4. rash — hasty
  5. net — in sport
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — a publisher
  10. pit — in a race
  11. press — to push
  12. firm — steady
  13. firm — decided
  14. net — for catching
  15. chest — of your body
  16. tube — a container
  17. capital — money
  18. net — after costs
  19. capital — a city
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. chest — of your body
  22. tube — the underground
  23. rash — a series
  24. firm — a company

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