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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pit — in a race
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. rash — hasty
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. press — a publisher
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a hole
  14. pitch — completely
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rash — a series
  17. bat — the animal
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. press — to push
  22. suit — clothes
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. press — newspapers

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