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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bulb — for light
  3. fall — to drop
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. net — for catching
  8. press — a publisher
  9. fall — to drop
  10. press — newspapers
  11. net — in sport
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bass — low music
  15. field — a subject
  16. bulb — for light
  17. net — after costs
  18. fall — the season
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. field — for sport
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. perch — the fish
  23. field — farmland
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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