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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 120 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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. press — to push
  5. march — the month
  6. bulb — for light
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. squash — the sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pass — a permit
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. march — music
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. march — the month

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