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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. scale — in music
  3. current — electric
  4. press — to push
  5. stem — to come from
  6. march — music
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. march — the month
  12. current — happening now
  13. press — a publisher
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. current — of water
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. press — newspapers

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