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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 124 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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. net — for catching
  7. pop — soda
  8. pop — music
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bore — to tire
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pound — a weight
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. net — after costs
  24. net — in sport

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