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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 flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. spring — a coil
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. can — a tin
  6. cue — for pool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. can — a tin
  9. cue — a signal
  10. ground — a position
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — to push
  16. spell — letters
  17. ground — the earth
  18. spell — magic
  19. mine — for digging
  20. drill — the tool
  21. can — to be able to
  22. press — a publisher
  23. ground — crushed
  24. drill — a practice

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