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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: land · deal · date · season · press · bulb · object · perch

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — a thing
  5. bulb — for light
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. object — to protest
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. land — ground
  11. bulb — for light
  12. date — the fruit
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — the fish
  15. object — an aim
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. season — in sport
  18. press — a publisher
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. land — to come down
  22. press — to push
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. land — a country

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