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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. spring — of water
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. mine — for digging
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — to bear
  13. spring — the season
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. cap — of ice
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. mate — to breed
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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