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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. saw — the tool
  4. content — happy
  5. press — to push
  6. object — an aim
  7. saw — the tool
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. current — of water
  10. content — the amount
  11. current — electric
  12. press — newspapers
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — a thing
  15. current — happening now
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. clip — for paper
  18. press — a publisher
  19. object — to protest
  20. clip — to cut
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. clip — a video
  24. fine — high quality

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