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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Many English words ________________ from Latin.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. band — a ring
  3. press — a publisher
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bulb — for light
  6. press — to push
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. press — newspapers
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. band — a music group
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. saw — the tool
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. bulb — for light
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. pass — a permit
  21. saw — the tool
  22. cue — a hint
  23. cue — for pool
  24. stem — to come from

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