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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. press — a publisher
  4. ground — crushed
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pit — a hole
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — music
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. tube — a container
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. ground — a position
  16. tube — the underground
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. ground — the earth
  19. pit — in a race
  20. rock — a stone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. press — to push
  24. racket — for tennis

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