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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: pop · press · track · cabinet · pit · ground · drill · jam

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  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. cabinet — ministers
  2. pop — to visit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. track — to keep track
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — a practice
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. pop — music
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. track — a song
  13. track — a path
  14. ground — a position
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pit — in a race
  17. drill — army training
  18. ground — the earth
  19. drill — the tool
  20. pit — a hole
  21. pop — soda
  22. press — to push
  23. ground — crushed
  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