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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — of water
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. wake — a trail
  5. fork — in a road
  6. press — a publisher
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. current — electric
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. field — for sport
  11. cue — a signal
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. field — a subject
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. cue — for pool
  16. pound — a weight
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. field — farmland
  20. press — to push
  21. cue — a hint
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. press — newspapers

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