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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. cue — a signal
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — a coil
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. content — happy
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cue — a hint
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. press — to push
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spring — of water
  21. prune — to trim
  22. press — a publisher
  23. content — the amount
  24. prune — to trim

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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