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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 120 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. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. season — of the year
  3. cue — for pool
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. spring — of water
  8. cue — a signal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. cue — a hint
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. spring — a coil
  16. rush — hurry
  17. season — in sport
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. spring — the season
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. press — to push

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