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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pit — in a race
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bear — the animal
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — a publisher
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. cell — in biology
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — to push
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. court — for sport
  24. cell — a phone

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