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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: nail · kid · toast · dip · press · march · pit · stand

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. march — music
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. kid — child
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — bread
  12. kid — to tease
  13. dip — to sink
  14. stand — to bear
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. press — to push
  19. march — the month
  20. pit — in a race
  21. march — the month
  22. press — newspapers
  23. toast — a drink to someone
  24. nail — on a finger

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