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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. march — the month
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — a stick
  6. club — for dancing
  7. staff — employees
  8. charge — in control
  9. current — of water
  10. club — for golf
  11. march — music
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fork — in a road
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. charge — electricity
  16. press — a publisher
  17. shower — to wash
  18. press — to push
  19. charge — a price
  20. staff — employees
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. club — a group
  24. current — happening now

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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