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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. current — happening now
  3. bulb — for light
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — a gift
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. branch — a division
  11. spring — a coil
  12. press — newspapers
  13. spring — of water
  14. current — of water
  15. bass — the fish
  16. present — there
  17. spring — the season
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. current — electric
  20. pound — a weight
  21. press — to push
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. branch — of a tree
  24. bass — low music

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