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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 hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. swing — to play on
  3. press — newspapers
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. spring — a coil
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. rock — a stone
  8. rock — music
  9. band — a ring
  10. band — a music group
  11. press — a publisher
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. capital — a city
  14. press — to push
  15. spring — the season
  16. swing — in golf
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. swing — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — all right
  23. capital — money
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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