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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. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. present — there
  5. rule — government
  6. sharp — clever
  7. present — the time now
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. court — for sport
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. fine — all right
  12. press — newspapers
  13. chair — a leader
  14. court — of law
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. rule — a law
  21. press — to push
  22. court — of a king
  23. fine — high quality
  24. present — a gift

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