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

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. mate — a friend
  3. press — to push
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — to rob
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. craft — boats
  10. stock — shares
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. stock — goods
  16. content — the amount
  17. mate — a partner
  18. content — happy
  19. press — a publisher
  20. current — happening now
  21. mug — a face
  22. mate — to breed
  23. craft — a skill
  24. press — newspapers

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