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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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. bulb — for light
  3. pop — to visit
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fine — high quality
  8. branch — of a bank
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. degree — from a university
  12. pop — soda
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — music
  15. press — to push
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. branch — a division
  20. fine — all right
  21. branch — of a tree
  22. press — newspapers
  23. degree — temperature
  24. press — a publisher

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