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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 116 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. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. stand — to bear
  4. current — of water
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. shower — rain
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. current — electric
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. kid — child
  14. kid — to tease
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — happening now
  17. shower — to wash
  18. press — to push
  19. present — the time now
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. present — a gift
  22. pitch — completely
  23. present — there
  24. press — a publisher

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