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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 116 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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. pitch — completely
  4. spell — a short time
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. tube — a container
  8. spell — magic
  9. press — to push
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. press — a publisher
  14. ground — a position
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — a song
  18. ground — the earth
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. track — to keep track
  21. ground — crushed
  22. tube — the underground
  23. track — a path
  24. spring — a coil

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