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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. band — a music group
  4. object — an aim
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. object — to protest
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. chip — for betting
  9. object — a thing
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. fine — all right
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. press — newspapers
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bulb — for light
  19. band — a ring
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — to push
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fan — to cool the air

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