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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: press · foot · ball · track · bulb · cold · roll · leaves

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. The water is too ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bulb — for light
  3. press — to push
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. roll — a list
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cold — the Cold War
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. roll — a cake
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cold — an illness
  14. cold — not warm
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. track — a path
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. press — a publisher
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. foot — a measure
  22. track — a song
  23. track — to keep track
  24. ball — a dance

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