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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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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: swing · bulb · court · fork · rule · spell · press · rest

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. press — to push
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — government
  6. court — of law
  7. bulb — for light
  8. bulb — for light
  9. swing — in golf
  10. fork — in a road
  11. rest — what's left
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. rest — what's left
  14. press — a publisher
  15. spell — magic
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. court — of a king
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. swing — music
  21. rest — a break
  22. spell — letters
  23. swing — to play on
  24. court — for 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