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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

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

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. bulb — for light
  10. land — to come down
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. press — a publisher
  14. land — ground
  15. bound — tied together
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. land — a country
  18. bowl — a dish

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