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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pop — soda
  4. bulb — for light
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spring — of water
  7. pop — to visit
  8. spring — the season
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. deal — to handle
  11. press — a publisher
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. spring — a coil
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fall — the season
  23. fall — to drop
  24. fall — to drop

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