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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 116 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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. press — a publisher
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. court — of law
  5. object — to protest
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. press — to push
  10. stock — shares
  11. stock — goods
  12. court — for sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. press — newspapers
  16. land — ground
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. land — a country
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bulb — for light
  23. object — an aim
  24. spring — a coil

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