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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. cell — a phone
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. capital — a city
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bulb — for light
  10. key — in music
  11. rock — music
  12. key — the most important part
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. press — a publisher
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cell — in biology
  21. bulb — for light
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. capital — money
  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