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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. board — to get on
  5. spell — a short time
  6. ground — crushed
  7. board — a committee
  8. ground — a position
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — the earth
  13. press — newspapers
  14. spell — magic
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. toast — bread
  18. cap — a lid
  19. bulb — for light
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — letters
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cap — of ice
  24. press — to push

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