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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. chip — to eat
  4. mate — to breed
  5. press — to push
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bulb — for light
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mate — a partner
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. mate — a friend
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wound — an injury
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. chip — for betting

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