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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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. cue — a signal
  4. current — happening now
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. press — a publisher
  8. shower — to wash
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pitch — completely
  11. shower — rain
  12. current — electric
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. press — newspapers
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. press — to push
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. current — of water

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