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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. cue — a hint
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. spring — the season
  5. game — a match
  6. tube — the underground
  7. cue — for pool
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. drill — the tool
  10. spring — of water
  11. fine — all right
  12. press — a publisher
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. press — to push
  15. game — wild animals
  16. fine — high quality
  17. tube — a container
  18. drill — army training
  19. spring — a coil
  20. cue — a signal
  21. drill — a practice
  22. band — a ring
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. band — a music group

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