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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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. fall — the season
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. press — newspapers
  6. club — for dancing
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. pit — in a race
  9. club — for golf
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. roll — a cake
  12. ball — a great time
  13. hand — help
  14. club — a group
  15. press — to push
  16. hand — in cards
  17. fall — to drop
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. pit — a hole
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fall — to drop

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