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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pit — a hole
  3. current — electric
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. current — of water
  10. lean — to bend
  11. bore — to tire
  12. cap — of ice
  13. cap — a hat
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bore — to drill
  16. current — happening now
  17. ball — a great time
  18. pit — in a race
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. ball — a dance
  22. cap — a lid
  23. lean — thin
  24. date — the fruit

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