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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. race — a contest
  3. spring — a coil
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. spring — the season
  7. mark — a grade
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. press — newspapers
  13. race — the arms race
  14. spring — of water
  15. mark — a trace
  16. sharp — clever
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pit — in a race
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. press — to push
  22. race — humankind
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mark — to pay attention

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