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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — a stick
  4. staff — employees
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. pit — a hole
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. spring — the season
  11. press — newspapers
  12. spring — of water
  13. key — in music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pit — in a race
  18. spring — a coil
  19. bark — to shout
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. press — to push
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. staff — employees

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