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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. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. bulb — for light
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bulb — for light
  8. track — a path
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. press — to push
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. press — newspapers
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. swing — in golf
  18. swing — music
  19. tube — the underground
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. press — a publisher
  23. swing — to play on
  24. track — a song

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