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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  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. press — newspapers
  2. rule — a law
  3. last — to go on
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. rule — government
  10. stock — shares
  11. band — a music group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. last — finally
  14. press — to push
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. stock — goods
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. ball — a dance
  20. bulb — for light
  21. last — final
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. band — a ring
  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