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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. ground — crushed
  3. mug — to rob
  4. mug — a face
  5. press — a publisher
  6. plane — a tool
  7. staff — employees
  8. mug — a cup
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tube — a container
  11. ground — a position
  12. bulb — for light
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. staff — employees
  16. bulb — for light
  17. ground — the earth
  18. capital — money
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. capital — a city
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. plane — in geometry

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