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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. pound — a weight
  3. squash — to crush
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — a publisher
  6. rest — what's left
  7. press — to push
  8. board — to get on
  9. rush — hurry
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. scale — in music
  18. press — newspapers
  19. board — a committee
  20. rest — a break
  21. pit — a hole
  22. scale — size or range
  23. squash — the sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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