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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. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. track — a path
  3. press — to push
  4. current — happening now
  5. current — of water
  6. bore — to tire
  7. track — to keep track
  8. press — newspapers
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. land — a country
  12. land — to come down
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. spring — the season
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. spring — a coil
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. track — a song
  23. current — electric
  24. bore — to drill

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