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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. tube — a container
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. prune — to trim
  6. press — a publisher
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. pit — in a race
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. press — newspapers
  14. march — the month
  15. prune — to trim
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. march — the month
  18. tube — the underground
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. march — music
  21. press — to push
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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