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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. cap — of ice
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. rash — a series
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. current — happening now
  9. pitch — completely
  10. current — electric
  11. game — a match
  12. bark — to shout
  13. current — of water
  14. game — wild animals
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. cap — a lid
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. cap — a hat

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