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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. bulb — for light
  3. march — the month
  4. suit — to fit
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. key — the most important part
  10. suit — clothes
  11. key — for a lock
  12. march — the month
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. fork — in a road
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — to play on
  18. swing — in golf
  19. key — in music
  20. bulb — for light
  21. swing — music
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. press — to push

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