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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. pit — in a race
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. wind — moving air
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. pitcher — a jug

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