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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. season — in sport
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — in a race
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. root — of a word
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. season — of the year
  20. pit — a hole
  21. root — the cause
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. coach — a trainer

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