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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. charge — electricity
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. pop — music
  5. rash — hasty
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — the underground
  10. rash — a series
  11. drill — a practice
  12. press — newspapers
  13. drill — army training
  14. pop — soda
  15. charge — in control
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. tube — a container
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. press — to push
  24. pop — to visit

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