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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. spell — letters
  3. bulb — for light
  4. deal — to handle
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. press — to push
  9. press — a publisher
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. spell — a short time
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. spell — magic
  16. pound — a weight
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chair — a leader
  19. toast — bread
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. press — newspapers
  24. bulb — of a plant

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