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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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. current — of water
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. current — electric
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pit — in a race
  7. current — happening now
  8. game — a match
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. bound — obliged
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. court — of a king
  13. bound — certain
  14. press — a publisher
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. press — to push
  17. press — newspapers
  18. court — for sport
  19. wound — an injury
  20. court — of law
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — wild animals
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wound — an injury

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