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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 120 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. track — to keep track
  4. face — to confront
  5. current — happening now
  6. craft — a skill
  7. track — a path
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. press — a publisher
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. game — a match
  13. mate — to breed
  14. current — of water
  15. mate — a partner
  16. game — wild animals
  17. craft — boats
  18. face — part of the head
  19. press — to push
  20. mate — a friend
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. track — a song
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. face — to point toward

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