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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. staff — employees
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. press — to push
  9. saw — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. current — electric
  12. press — a publisher
  13. current — happening now
  14. staff — a stick
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — newspapers
  18. drill — a practice
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. drill — the tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. row — to paddle
  24. current — of water

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