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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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. pound — a weight
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. cell — a phone
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. tube — the underground
  13. tube — a container
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — to bear
  17. press — a publisher
  18. cell — in biology
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — newspapers
  22. current — of water
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rock — a stone

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