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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  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. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. press — a publisher
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pit — in a race
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — to push
  9. fine — high quality
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. pit — a hole
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. degree — temperature
  15. degree — from a university
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — newspapers
  18. deal — to handle
  19. can — to be able to
  20. march — the month
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. degree — an amount
  23. can — a tin
  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