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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. rash — a series
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. staff — employees
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. bound — obliged
  8. cap — of ice
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cap — a hat
  11. bound — tied together
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — employees
  14. rash — hasty
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bound — certain
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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