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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. can — a tin
  3. root — of a word
  4. pop — soda
  5. spring — the season
  6. pop — music
  7. spring — a coil
  8. can — to be able to
  9. ball — a dance
  10. root — of a plant
  11. pop — to visit
  12. spring — of water
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. press — newspapers
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. press — to push
  18. root — the cause
  19. mark — a grade
  20. can — a tin
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. press — a publisher

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