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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: press · bear · season · mug · bore · ruler · leaves · pitcher

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. mug — a face
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. season — in sport
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bore — to drill
  12. press — to push
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bore — to tire
  20. season — of the year
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mug — to rob
  24. leaves — to go away

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