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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bore · press · date · stick · staff · bulb · present · scale

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. press — a publisher
  3. scale — size or range
  4. bulb — for light
  5. date — the fruit
  6. staff — employees
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bore — to drill
  10. press — to push
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. scale — in music
  13. staff — employees
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. present — there
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — a gift
  19. bore — to tire
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. staff — a stick
  22. press — newspapers
  23. present — the time now
  24. date — on the calendar

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