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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: pop · press · racket · spring · bore · season · toast · chest

  1. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. 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. bore — to drill
  2. pop — soda
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. toast — bread
  5. press — to push
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — to visit
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. bore — to tire
  10. chest — a box
  11. chest — of your body
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. season — in sport
  16. spring — the season
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. pop — music
  19. season — of the year
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. 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