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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 120 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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — a thing
  3. pit — in a race
  4. object — to protest
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. press — newspapers
  7. can — to be able to
  8. degree — from a university
  9. can — a tin
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pop — soda
  13. degree — an amount
  14. object — an aim
  15. press — to push
  16. row — to paddle
  17. pop — music
  18. degree — temperature
  19. can — a tin
  20. pit — a hole
  21. row — a line
  22. pop — to visit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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