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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. press — a publisher
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. firm — decided
  5. bulb — for light
  6. track — a song
  7. firm — a company
  8. bulb — for light
  9. track — a path
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. march — music
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. press — to push
  16. firm — steady
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. press — newspapers
  20. track — to keep track
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. row — a line
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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