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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. current — electric
  3. can — to be able to
  4. game — a match
  5. game — wild animals
  6. current — happening now
  7. can — a tin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. tube — the underground
  13. press — to push
  14. sharp — clever
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. can — a tin
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. current — of water
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. press — newspapers
  23. tube — a container
  24. trunk — of a tree

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