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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 116 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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. clip — a video
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cue — for pool
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bark — to shout
  8. pit — a hole
  9. press — a publisher
  10. ground — a position
  11. court — of law
  12. press — newspapers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. cue — a hint
  15. press — to push
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. clip — to cut
  19. court — for sport
  20. ground — the earth
  21. suit — clothes
  22. court — of a king
  23. ground — crushed
  24. suit — in cards

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