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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. fall — to drop
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. fall — the season
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. net — for catching
  11. bulb — for light
  12. press — a publisher
  13. mark — a trace
  14. capital — a city
  15. net — after costs
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — for light
  19. deal — to handle
  20. press — to push
  21. press — newspapers
  22. net — in sport
  23. bear — the animal
  24. bear — the animal

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