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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitch — completely
  4. bulb — for light
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. shower — to wash
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. wound — an injury
  9. press — to push
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kid — child
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pit — a hole
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. shower — rain
  19. press — a publisher
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. wound — an injury
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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