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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 116 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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. press — a publisher
  3. land — to come down
  4. press — newspapers
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rash — a series
  7. perch — the fish
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. drill — the tool
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rash — hasty
  13. season — in sport
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. season — of the year
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. pass — a permit
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. bulb — for light

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