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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — a measure
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. can — a tin
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. rush — hurry
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. tube — the underground
  12. can — a tin
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. track — to keep track
  15. capital — money
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. press — to push
  18. capital — a city
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. track — a song
  21. mark — a trace
  22. can — to be able to
  23. tube — a container
  24. track — a path

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