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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. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. current — of water
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. capital — money
  5. press — newspapers
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. capital — a city
  11. bore — to drill
  12. bore — to tire
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. prune — to trim
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. press — to push
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. ball — a great time
  23. jam — in traffic
  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