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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: board · tear · track · mark · press · spring · temple · pit

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. board — a committee
  3. press — a publisher
  4. tear — to rip
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. tear — from crying
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — a path
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — to keep track
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. pit — a hole
  14. mark — a trace
  15. pit — in a race
  16. track — a song
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. tear — from crying
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. spring — a coil
  22. press — to push
  23. board — to get on
  24. spring — of water

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