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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rock — music
  3. bulb — for light
  4. degree — from a university
  5. stem — to come from
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. press — a publisher
  9. present — a gift
  10. press — newspapers
  11. charge — a price
  12. rule — a law
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. charge — in control
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. degree — temperature
  17. press — to push
  18. rule — government
  19. present — the time now
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. charge — electricity
  22. bulb — for light
  23. degree — an amount
  24. stem — a stem cell

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