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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 muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. press — to push
  6. pit — a hole
  7. spring — a coil
  8. spring — the season
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. track — a song
  11. wake — a trail
  12. spring — of water
  13. present — there
  14. cap — a lid
  15. cap — a hat
  16. cap — of ice
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. present — the time now
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. press — a publisher
  22. present — a gift
  23. pit — in a race
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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