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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. ball — a dance
  3. game — a match
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — electric
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. bulb — for light
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. press — newspapers
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. press — to push
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. rock — music
  18. rock — a stone
  19. ball — a great time
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. current — of water
  23. bulb — for light
  24. current — happening now

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