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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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. press — a publisher
  5. can — a tin
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pit — in a race
  12. can — to be able to
  13. press — to push
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. club — for dancing
  16. can — a tin
  17. land — a country
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. press — newspapers
  20. club — a group
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. rush — hurry
  23. club — for golf
  24. rush — a thrill

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