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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. fine — high quality
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. cue — a signal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. press — a publisher
  8. cold — not warm
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cold — an illness
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. press — to push
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. hand — help
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pit — a hole
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. fine — all right
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pitcher — a jug

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