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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. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. track — a song
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pit — in a race
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bass — low music
  7. charge — electricity
  8. track — a path
  9. charge — a price
  10. wound — an injury
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. charge — in control
  18. bass — the fish
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bulb — for light
  21. press — to push
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. track — to keep track
  24. prune — the fruit

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