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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. press — a publisher
  3. content — the amount
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bark — to shout
  6. press — newspapers
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. degree — an amount
  12. content — happy
  13. row — a line
  14. degree — from a university
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. pop — soda
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pop — music
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — to visit
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. degree — temperature

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