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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 120 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 put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pop — to visit
  4. press — newspapers
  5. board — a committee
  6. march — the month
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. root — of a plant
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. root — of a word
  12. bulb — for light
  13. board — to get on
  14. prune — to trim
  15. press — to push
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. pop — soda
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pop — music
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. march — music
  22. root — the cause
  23. march — the month
  24. chair — a leader

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