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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. sharp — clever
  3. swing — to play on
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. press — a publisher
  6. suit — to fit
  7. ground — a position
  8. scale — in music
  9. content — happy
  10. suit — in cards
  11. press — to push
  12. content — the amount
  13. scale — size or range
  14. ground — crushed
  15. current — happening now
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. press — newspapers
  18. swing — music
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. current — of water
  21. swing — in golf
  22. current — electric
  23. ground — the earth
  24. scale — for weighing

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