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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — the underground
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. saw — the tool
  5. squash — the sport
  6. key — in music
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stem — to come from
  9. saw — the tool
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. hand — in cards
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — to push
  15. pit — in a race
  16. pit — a hole
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. squash — to crush
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. hand — help
  22. key — for a lock
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. squash — the vegetable

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