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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. press — newspapers
  3. bulb — for light
  4. ground — the earth
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. last — finally
  7. scale — in music
  8. ground — crushed
  9. press — to push
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. deal — to handle
  13. last — final
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. ground — a position
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — size or range
  21. last — to go on
  22. press — a publisher
  23. game — wild animals
  24. bulb — for light

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