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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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — soda
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. stem — to come from
  5. bulb — for light
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. press — to push
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. ball — a great time
  10. mate — to breed
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. press — a publisher
  13. chip — to eat
  14. chip — for betting
  15. ball — a dance
  16. bore — to tire
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bore — to drill
  22. pop — music
  23. mate — a friend
  24. pop — to visit

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