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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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. press — to push
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. stock — shares
  6. bass — low music
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — army training
  10. perch — the fish
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — a practice
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bass — the fish
  18. press — a publisher
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stock — goods
  24. pit — a hole

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