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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. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. tube — a container
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — a gift
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — to bear
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — a short time
  13. staff — a stick
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. field — a subject
  16. spell — magic
  17. staff — employees
  18. field — for sport
  19. tube — the underground
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — there
  22. field — farmland
  23. present — the time now
  24. press — newspapers

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