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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. mug — a face
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bulb — for light
  10. spell — magic
  11. ground — a position
  12. rule — government
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — a law
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. toast — bread
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — to rob
  19. spell — a short time
  20. ground — the earth
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — to push
  23. fork — in a road
  24. ground — crushed

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