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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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. pitch — completely
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. firm — steady
  5. press — a publisher
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. shower — rain
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. season — in sport
  14. shower — to wash
  15. season — of the year
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. press — newspapers
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. band — a music group
  22. band — a ring
  23. press — to push
  24. firm — decided

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