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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. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. club — a group
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bulb — for light
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. chip — to eat
  7. rest — a break
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rest — what's left
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. chip — for betting
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. club — for golf
  17. press — to push
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. press — newspapers
  21. bulb — for light
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rest — what's left
  24. mine — for digging

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