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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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cue — a signal
  4. press — a publisher
  5. tube — a container
  6. press — newspapers
  7. ground — crushed
  8. suit — clothes
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. track — a path
  11. press — to push
  12. track — to keep track
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. suit — to fit
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. spell — a short time
  17. suit — in cards
  18. tube — the underground
  19. spell — magic
  20. cue — for pool
  21. ground — a position
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. track — a song
  24. cue — a hint

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