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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 120 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. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. suit — clothes
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. branch — a division
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. press — to push
  13. press — a publisher
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. march — music
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. sharp — clever
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. pit — a hole
  23. press — newspapers
  24. suit — in cards

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