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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. press — to push
  3. content — happy
  4. content — the amount
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. current — electric
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. rash — hasty
  12. current — happening now
  13. press — a publisher
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stand — to bear
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. current — of water
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. rash — a series
  24. ball — a great time

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