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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 120 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: bulb · band · rush · press · can · pop · field · court

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I've got to change the light ________________.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bulb — for light
  3. bulb — for light
  4. pop — to visit
  5. court — of law
  6. field — for sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. band — a ring
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — a publisher
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. court — of a king
  13. court — for sport
  14. can — to be able to
  15. field — a subject
  16. pop — soda
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. press — newspapers
  19. can — a tin
  20. pop — music
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — to push
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — to hurry

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