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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. club — for golf
  4. club — a group
  5. current — electric
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. drill — a practice
  8. prune — to trim
  9. press — newspapers
  10. current — of water
  11. press — a publisher
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. press — to push
  16. drill — army training
  17. snap — to click
  18. scale — in music
  19. club — for dancing
  20. scale — size or range
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. drill — the tool
  23. current — happening now
  24. prune — to trim

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