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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. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. swing — music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — a publisher
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. firm — steady
  10. roll — a list
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. current — of water
  14. current — electric
  15. firm — a company
  16. scale — in music
  17. swing — in golf
  18. mate — a friend
  19. capital — money
  20. press — to push
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — a partner
  23. mate — to breed
  24. capital — a city

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