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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 · rule · hide · rest · toast · mouse · court

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pit — in a race
  6. court — of a king
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. press — to push
  11. rest — what's left
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. rule — government
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. press — a publisher
  16. toast — bread
  17. court — for sport
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rest — a break
  21. rule — a law
  22. court — of law
  23. pit — a hole
  24. hide — to keep secret

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