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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: mouse · jam · stand · bulb · cold · pop · season · press

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. cold — an illness
  4. press — to push
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. bulb — for light
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. press — a publisher
  9. season — of the year
  10. bulb — for light
  11. cold — not warm
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stand — to bear
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. pop — soda
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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