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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. can — a tin
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — the month
  8. tube — the underground
  9. tube — a container
  10. march — music
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — a measure
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. can — a tin
  16. march — the month
  17. prune — to trim
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — to push
  24. patient — a sick person

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