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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. 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. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. current — electric
  4. season — in sport
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a match
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. press — a publisher
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. press — to push
  16. current — happening now
  17. rock — a stone
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. press — newspapers
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. 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