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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. present — the time now
  3. pit — in a race
  4. press — a publisher
  5. fine — all right
  6. press — newspapers
  7. bound — tied together
  8. sharp — clever
  9. present — there
  10. fine — high quality
  11. present — a gift
  12. net — for catching
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bound — obliged
  15. pit — a hole
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. bound — certain
  18. mate — to breed
  19. net — after costs
  20. mate — a partner
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. net — in sport
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. sharp — with an edge

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