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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pop — to visit
  3. net — after costs
  4. band — a ring
  5. band — a rubber band
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. chip — for betting
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. press — to push
  12. net — in sport
  13. band — a music group
  14. bulb — for light
  15. shower — to wash
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. pop — soda
  18. chip — to eat
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. net — for catching
  21. bulb — for light
  22. pop — music
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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