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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. hand — help
  3. press — newspapers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — for light
  6. hand — in cards
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. pass — a permit
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. can — a tin
  13. kid — to tease
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. scale — in music
  18. kid — child
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. can — to be able to
  21. can — a tin
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. bulb — for light
  24. pass — to succeed

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