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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — soda
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. mark — a trace
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. rash — hasty
  12. press — a publisher
  13. current — of water
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. mark — a grade
  17. current — electric
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. pop — music
  20. pop — to visit
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. rash — a series
  23. current — happening now
  24. press — to push

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