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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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. can — a tin
  4. bulb — for light
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bat — the animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. dip — to sink
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — to push
  24. bass — low music

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