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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. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. tube — a container
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. tube — the underground
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. press — newspapers
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. kick — in football
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. dip — to sink
  17. pitch — completely
  18. fork — in a road
  19. press — to push
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bulb — for light

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