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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. land — to come down
  3. tube — a container
  4. mug — to rob
  5. season — of the year
  6. present — there
  7. tube — the underground
  8. mug — a face
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. capital — a city
  12. press — to push
  13. present — the time now
  14. land — a country
  15. press — a publisher
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. capital — money
  18. present — a gift
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. mug — a cup
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. land — ground
  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