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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: rule · press · bulb · sharp · root · mine · cabinet · season

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. bulb — for light
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. press — newspapers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. root — the cause
  11. press — a publisher
  12. season — of the year
  13. bulb — for light
  14. rule — a law
  15. season — in sport
  16. rule — government
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. root — of a word
  19. root — of a plant
  20. sharp — clever
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. mine — for digging
  23. press — to push
  24. sharp — exactly

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