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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: stick · wind · press · kid · row · fine · pit · bound

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. row — a line
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. row — to paddle
  14. wind — moving air
  15. wind — moving air
  16. press — newspapers
  17. fine — high quality
  18. fine — all right
  19. pit — a hole
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. kid — child
  23. press — to push
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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