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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. row — a line
  3. scale — size or range
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pop — music
  6. press — to push
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. row — to paddle
  9. last — final
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. last — finally
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. bass — low music
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. pop — soda
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. press — a publisher
  19. scale — in music
  20. bass — the fish
  21. last — to go on
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pop — to visit
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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