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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. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pit — a hole
  3. spring — the season
  4. spring — a coil
  5. pit — in a race
  6. band — a music group
  7. spring — of water
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. staff — employees
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. staff — a stick
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. staff — employees
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. band — a ring
  17. press — newspapers
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. press — a publisher
  21. fine — all right
  22. bulb — for light
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. press — to push

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