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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. mug — a face
  3. spring — a coil
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. press — to push
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. press — newspapers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. kid — child
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mug — to rob
  17. spring — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. mug — a cup
  24. spring — the season

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