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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. present — there
  3. fine — high quality
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. tube — a container
  7. tube — the underground
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. press — newspapers
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. spring — a coil
  13. squash — the sport
  14. fine — all right
  15. bulb — for light
  16. spring — of water
  17. press — a publisher
  18. present — the time now
  19. press — to push
  20. spring — the season
  21. bulb — for light
  22. squash — to crush
  23. present — a gift
  24. bat — the animal

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