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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 · bulb · season · deal · field · spell · stick · suit

  1. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — of a plant
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — a publisher
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. press — newspapers
  8. suit — in cards
  9. press — to push
  10. field — farmland
  11. bulb — for light
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. bulb — for light
  14. suit — to fit
  15. deal — to handle
  16. spell — a short time
  17. season — in sport
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. season — of the year
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — magic
  23. suit — clothes
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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