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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. bank — of a river
  4. pit — in a race
  5. file — a line of people
  6. wind — moving air
  7. court — of a king
  8. bat — the animal
  9. press — newspapers
  10. bank — for money
  11. court — of law
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. file — a document
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — to push
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. mark — a grade
  19. pit — a hole
  20. file — a tool
  21. court — for sport
  22. bank — for money
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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