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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. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. land — a country
  4. tear — from crying
  5. bear — the animal
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. land — ground
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — newspapers
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. pit — a hole
  14. press — a publisher
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. land — to come down
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. press — to push
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. tear — to rip

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