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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. season — in sport
  3. bulb — for light
  4. kid — child
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. press — newspapers
  8. season — of the year
  9. bulb — for light
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bound — tied together
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kid — to tease
  16. press — a publisher
  17. capital — a city
  18. bound — certain
  19. press — to push
  20. capital — money
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bound — obliged
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. season — to add flavour

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