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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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. spring — the season
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — a publisher
  5. cue — for pool
  6. press — to push
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. current — happening now
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. game — a match
  12. charge — a price
  13. cue — a signal
  14. current — electric
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — for light
  17. charge — in control
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. charge — electricity
  20. game — wild animals
  21. current — of water
  22. cue — a hint
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. spring — a coil

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