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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bulb — for light
  6. capital — a city
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bulb — for light
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. bound — certain
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. press — a publisher
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. present — a gift
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — there
  19. ground — a position
  20. capital — money
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bound — obliged
  23. ground — the earth
  24. bound — tied together

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