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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. bulb — for light
  3. tube — a container
  4. tube — the underground
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. degree — temperature
  10. fall — to drop
  11. press — a publisher
  12. degree — from a university
  13. press — to push
  14. press — newspapers
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. fall — the season
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bulb — for light
  19. mate — a partner
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. degree — an amount
  24. fan — a supporter

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