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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 116 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 people resisted their cruel ________________.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — a monarch
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. mark — a trace
  5. press — to push
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mark — a grade
  8. tear — from crying
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. game — a match
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — a publisher
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. capital — a city
  17. game — wild animals
  18. pit — in a race
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. tear — to rip
  22. pit — a hole
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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