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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: mark · season · shower · game · bear · press · bulb · firm

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. shower — to wash
  3. firm — steady
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bulb — for light
  7. mark — a grade
  8. game — wild animals
  9. mark — a trace
  10. firm — decided
  11. game — a match
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. firm — a company
  16. season — of the year
  17. shower — rain
  18. press — a publisher
  19. season — in sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. bear — the animal

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