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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 120 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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — help
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. spring — the season
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. track — a song
  9. track — a path
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. press — to push
  13. spring — of water
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rock — music
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hand — in cards
  20. press — newspapers
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — a stone
  24. deal — an agreement

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