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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. land — to come down
  6. net — after costs
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. can — a tin
  9. net — in sport
  10. press — to push
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — in control
  13. land — ground
  14. kid — child
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bulb — for light
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — electricity
  19. kid — to tease
  20. net — for catching
  21. charge — a price
  22. bulb — for light
  23. land — a country
  24. can — to be able to

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