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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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Word bank
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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: mug · mark · cue · pit · net · rash · press · mine

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. net — for catching
  6. mug — a cup
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pit — a hole
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. cue — a hint
  11. press — to push
  12. mug — a face
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. mark — a grade
  16. mine — for digging
  17. cue — a signal
  18. net — after costs
  19. cue — for pool
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. net — in sport
  24. mug — to rob

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