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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: game · tube · spring · safe · stand · toast · press · pop

  1. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. tube — in a tire
  2. game — a match
  3. spring — a coil
  4. game — wild animals
  5. tube — a container
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pop — to visit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. toast — bread
  13. tube — the underground
  14. pop — soda
  15. stand — to bear
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. spring — the season
  18. spring — of water
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. pop — music
  24. toast — the most admired

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