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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. tube — a container
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. press — newspapers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. fall — to drop
  10. fine — high quality
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. fall — the season
  13. fine — all right
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. track — a path
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mate — a partner
  19. pitch — completely
  20. mate — a friend
  21. tube — the underground
  22. fall — to drop
  23. mate — to breed
  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