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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. cap — of ice
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. rest — what's left
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cap — a hat
  11. rest — what's left
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — a break
  15. spring — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. pound — a weight
  18. press — a publisher
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. spring — a coil
  23. press — to push
  24. cap — a lid

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