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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. field — farmland
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bear — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. press — newspapers
  14. field — a subject
  15. press — to push
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rule — a law
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. field — for sport
  24. rule — government

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