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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: date · saw · mark · rock · roll · sharp · press · bulb

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. press — to push
  4. bulb — for light
  5. press — a publisher
  6. mark — a trace
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. rock — music
  11. sharp — clever
  12. date — the fruit
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bulb — for light
  15. press — newspapers
  16. roll — a cake
  17. saw — the tool
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mark — a grade
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. roll — a list
  24. saw — the tool

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