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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 ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. file — a line of people
  3. land — a country
  4. key — in music
  5. net — after costs
  6. file — a tool
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. net — for catching
  9. key — for a lock
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. press — a publisher
  12. land — ground
  13. press — to push
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. stem — to come from
  16. land — to come down
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — clever
  19. press — newspapers
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a document
  23. key — the most important part
  24. stem — a stem cell

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