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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. False peace will not ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. swing — to play on
  4. content — the amount
  5. bulb — for light
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. firm — decided
  8. root — of a word
  9. firm — a company
  10. root — the cause
  11. content — happy
  12. swing — in golf
  13. last — finally
  14. suit — clothes
  15. press — to push
  16. root — of a plant
  17. last — to go on
  18. press — a publisher
  19. suit — in cards
  20. swing — music
  21. bulb — for light
  22. firm — steady
  23. last — final
  24. press — newspapers

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