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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. mate — to breed
  4. scale — in music
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. hand — in cards
  9. march — music
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — to push
  12. hand — help
  13. march — the month
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a friend
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. march — the month
  18. bulb — for light
  19. pop — soda
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. pop — to visit
  22. press — newspapers
  23. pop — music
  24. mate — a partner

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