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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 116 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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. court — of law
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bass — the fish
  9. press — to push
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bass — low music
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bank — for money
  15. current — happening now
  16. pass — a permit
  17. press — a publisher
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. current — electric
  21. court — for sport
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. press — newspapers
  24. court — of a king

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