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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 116 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: chair · fan · spell · pit · tube · press · bulb · ball

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. tube — a container
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ball — a dance
  10. chair — a leader
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. spell — magic
  14. spell — letters
  15. ball — a great time
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bulb — for light
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — the underground

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