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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. degree — from a university
  6. bulb — for light
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. firm — a company
  9. clip — to cut
  10. press — newspapers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. degree — an amount
  13. clip — for paper
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. jam — a tight spot
  16. firm — decided
  17. firm — steady
  18. degree — temperature
  19. press — to push
  20. clip — a video
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bulb — for light
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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