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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: pop · mate · cap · bulb · track · ground · press · current

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. pop — soda
  3. track — a path
  4. current — happening now
  5. pop — music
  6. mate — to breed
  7. pop — to visit
  8. current — of water
  9. ground — a position
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. cap — of ice
  12. current — electric
  13. track — a song
  14. press — to push
  15. bulb — for light
  16. press — a publisher
  17. ground — the earth
  18. ground — crushed
  19. cap — a lid
  20. press — newspapers
  21. mate — a friend
  22. cap — a hat
  23. bulb — for light
  24. track — to keep track

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