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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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bulb — for light
  7. chest — a box
  8. chest — of your body
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. can — to be able to
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. band — a music group
  16. ground — a position
  17. press — to push
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. club — for dancing
  20. can — a tin
  21. press — newspapers
  22. band — a ring
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bowl — a football final

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