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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ball · bulb · press · cell · fan · mark

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. cell — a phone
  7. press — newspapers
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mark — a trace
  15. ball — a great time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. mark — to pay attention

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