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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. pop — to visit
  6. drill — the tool
  7. bulb — for light
  8. press — newspapers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. spell — magic
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. press — to push
  13. pop — soda
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. drill — army training
  18. bat — the animal
  19. mark — a trace
  20. drill — a practice
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mark — a grade
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bat — in an idiom

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