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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. rest — what's left
  6. pitch — completely
  7. suit — clothes
  8. current — electric
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. march — the month
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. suit — in cards
  14. suit — to fit
  15. march — music
  16. current — happening now
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. march — the month
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. current — of water
  24. rest — a break

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