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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 116 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. bulb — for light
  3. degree — from a university
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. bulb — for light
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. press — a publisher
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. press — to push
  16. degree — an amount
  17. mine — for digging
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. mark — a grade
  20. degree — temperature
  21. press — newspapers
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. bay — a horse colour

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