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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 120 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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. squash — the sport
  3. pop — soda
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bulb — for light
  8. present — a gift
  9. scale — size or range
  10. pop — to visit
  11. craft — boats
  12. bulb — for light
  13. squash — to crush
  14. scale — in music
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. craft — a skill
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. press — to push
  19. present — the time now
  20. press — newspapers
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pop — music
  24. press — a publisher

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