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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. bulb — for light
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. snap — to click
  15. stem — to come from
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. press — to push
  18. bulb — for light
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a committee
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pit — in a race
  23. press — newspapers
  24. board — to get on

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