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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. drill — a practice
  3. present — a gift
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pound — a weight
  9. current — electric
  10. press — newspapers
  11. current — happening now
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. pitch — completely
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — a country
  16. current — of water
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. drill — army training
  19. present — there
  20. press — to push
  21. land — ground
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. present — the time now

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