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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. press — newspapers
  3. rule — government
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. rock — music
  6. mark — a trace
  7. press — to push
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. current — happening now
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. court — for sport
  15. current — electric
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. press — a publisher
  18. mine — for digging
  19. court — of law
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. mark — a grade
  22. rule — a law
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of a king

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