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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. pitch — completely
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. band — a ring
  7. press — to push
  8. pit — a hole
  9. dip — to sink
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — in a race
  12. band — a music group
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. branch — a division
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. date — the fruit
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. bulb — for light
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — a sauce

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