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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. can — a tin
  4. can — a tin
  5. press — newspapers
  6. band — a music group
  7. spring — of water
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. chip — to eat
  10. band — a ring
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. press — to push
  13. wake — a trail
  14. ground — crushed
  15. spring — the season
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. can — to be able to
  18. plane — a tool
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. chip — for betting
  21. ground — the earth
  22. press — a publisher
  23. spring — a coil
  24. band — a rubber band

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