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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bulb — for light
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. shower — rain
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. field — a subject
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. rock — a stone
  13. shower — to wash
  14. branch — a division
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. bulb — for light
  17. stock — shares
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. field — farmland
  21. field — for sport
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. stock — goods
  24. stock — a soup base

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