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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. saw — the tool
  3. stand — to bear
  4. land — ground
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. land — to come down
  16. plane — a tool
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. press — a publisher
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. rule — a law
  23. land — a country
  24. rule — government

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