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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · arm · bulb · bat · cap · tube · fork · ground

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. press — newspapers
  4. ground — crushed
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. cap — a lid
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. ground — the earth
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — a position
  12. cap — of ice
  13. tube — the underground
  14. fork — in a road
  15. tube — a container
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. press — a publisher
  21. bat — the animal
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bulb — for light

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