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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. press — a publisher
  3. tube — a container
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. press — newspapers
  13. tube — the underground
  14. rush — hurry
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. press — to push
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — a position
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. mine — for digging
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. racket — for tennis

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