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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spring — of water
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. bank — for money
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rock — music
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. bank — of a river
  9. land — to come down
  10. pit — a hole
  11. spring — the season
  12. tube — a container
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pit — in a race
  17. land — ground
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bark — to shout
  20. land — a country
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. tube — the underground
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. bank — for money

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