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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. press — to push
  3. object — an aim
  4. cell — in biology
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. press — a publisher
  7. object — a thing
  8. spell — letters
  9. spring — of water
  10. degree — an amount
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cell — a phone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. degree — temperature
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. degree — from a university
  18. spell — a short time
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. object — to protest
  21. spring — the season
  22. spell — magic
  23. stand — to bear
  24. racket — for tennis

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