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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. pop — music
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. pop — to visit
  5. pop — soda
  6. chair — a leader
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. bulb — for light
  13. bulb — for light
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mate — to breed
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — to sink
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. mate — a partner
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. press — newspapers
  24. mate — a friend

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