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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. current — happening now
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. net — after costs
  8. ball — a dance
  9. clip — a video
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — for paper
  12. ball — a great time
  13. net — for catching
  14. current — of water
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. net — in sport
  18. clip — to cut

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