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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. I'll be taking the ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — a hole
  4. last — to go on
  5. tube — a container
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. press — to push
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. charge — electricity
  12. charge — a price
  13. pit — in a race
  14. press — a publisher
  15. present — there
  16. last — final
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. press — newspapers
  19. fork — in a road
  20. charge — in control
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. present — a gift
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. last — finally

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