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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. press — a publisher
  5. game — wild animals
  6. vault — a safe
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. staff — employees
  9. game — a match
  10. file — a line of people
  11. file — a tool
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. press — newspapers
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. press — to push
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. staff — a stick
  20. staff — employees
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. file — a document

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