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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. squash — to crush
  3. press — to push
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bulb — for light
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. capital — money
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. track — a path
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. squash — the sport
  16. press — newspapers
  17. track — to keep track
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. capital — a city
  20. degree — temperature
  21. staff — employees
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  24. hide — animal skin

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