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

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — the animal
  5. present — there
  6. stand — to bear
  7. mate — to breed
  8. spring — the season
  9. club — for golf
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. spring — of water
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. present — a gift
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. spring — a coil
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mate — a partner
  20. club — for dancing
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. club — a group
  23. mate — a friend
  24. present — the time now

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