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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. wound — an injury
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pound — a weight
  5. board — to get on
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. press — a publisher
  9. stock — goods
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stock — shares
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. cell — a phone
  17. press — to push
  18. wound — an injury
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. saw — the tool
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. cell — in biology
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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