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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pit · press · foot · rule · straw · pass

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. press — a publisher
  3. rule — a law
  4. pass — a permit
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. press — newspapers
  10. foot — a measure
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. press — to push
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pit — a hole

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