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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 116 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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. row — a line
  3. pit — in a race
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pit — a hole
  6. craft — boats
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. press — newspapers
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. squash — to crush
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. wake — a trail
  17. press — to push
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. craft — a skill
  20. row — to paddle
  21. press — a publisher
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. bound — obliged

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