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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 120 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're almost out of ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. current — electric
  3. drill — the tool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — goods
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. pop — to visit
  10. press — a publisher
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. stock — shares
  13. ground — crushed
  14. press — to push
  15. ground — the earth
  16. drill — army training
  17. ground — a position
  18. current — happening now
  19. pop — music
  20. press — newspapers
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — in golf
  23. current — of water
  24. arm — part of the body

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