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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. land — a country
  3. pop — music
  4. wound — an injury
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pit — a hole
  8. date — the fruit
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pop — to visit
  12. press — newspapers
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pop — soda
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. press — to push
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. wound — an injury
  21. land — ground
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. mark — a grade
  24. safe — out of danger

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