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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · stand · race · date · spring · press

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — a publisher
  4. race — the arms race
  5. date — the fruit
  6. race — humankind
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — to push
  10. present — there
  11. spring — the season
  12. present — a gift
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. race — a contest
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — to bear
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. spring — a coil

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