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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. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  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. file — a document
  2. file — a line of people
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bulb — for light
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. bulb — for light
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. roll — a list
  11. press — to push
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. kid — child
  14. file — a tool
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. roll — a cake
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — to tease
  23. pitch — completely
  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