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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. chair — a leader
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — newspapers
  5. clip — a video
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — in a race
  8. board — a committee
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — to push
  11. current — electric
  12. current — of water
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. clip — to cut
  15. clip — for paper
  16. board — to get on
  17. spring — a coil
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — a publisher
  22. spring — the season
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. board — a flat piece

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