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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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. march — music
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bulb — for light
  13. pop — soda
  14. bass — the fish
  15. march — the month
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. bass — low music
  18. press — to push
  19. perch — the fish
  20. pop — to visit
  21. march — the month
  22. bulb — for light
  23. press — a publisher
  24. patient — a sick person

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