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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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I've got to change the light ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. prune — to trim
  3. pound — a weight
  4. press — a publisher
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. deal — to handle
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. press — to push
  9. bulb — for light
  10. season — in sport
  11. chip — for betting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. season — of the year
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. press — newspapers
  16. can — a tin
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. chip — to eat
  19. can — to be able to
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. can — a tin
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pound — for dogs

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