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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. prune — to trim
  3. capital — a city
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. spring — a coil
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. prune — to trim
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitch — completely
  13. bank — for money
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. spring — of water
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. bank — of a river
  19. can — to be able to
  20. press — to push
  21. capital — money
  22. bank — for money
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitch — a sports field

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