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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  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. bulb — for light
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. bore — to drill
  5. field — a subject
  6. press — to push
  7. field — for sport
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. tube — the underground
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. bulb — for light
  12. charge — electricity
  13. tube — a container
  14. charge — a price
  15. rash — a series
  16. charge — in control
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. rash — hasty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bore — to tire
  23. field — farmland
  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