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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. drill — the tool
  3. press — to push
  4. drill — a practice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. row — a line
  7. current — of water
  8. cap — of ice
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. press — a publisher
  11. suit — clothes
  12. row — to paddle
  13. current — electric
  14. drill — army training
  15. press — newspapers
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chip — to eat
  18. file — a line of people
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — happening now
  21. file — a document
  22. cap — a lid
  23. file — a tool
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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