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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. press — newspapers
  3. file — a document
  4. file — a line of people
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. press — to push
  7. march — the month
  8. spring — of water
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. file — a tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. current — electric
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. current — of water
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. snap — to click
  19. current — happening now
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. spring — a coil
  22. march — the month
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. spring — the season

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