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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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. net — in sport
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. pass — a permit
  7. current — happening now
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. mark — a trace
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. capital — money
  14. current — electric
  15. bore — to tire
  16. rash — a series
  17. net — for catching
  18. capital — a city
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bore — to drill
  21. press — to push
  22. mark — a grade
  23. current — of water
  24. rash — hasty

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