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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. press — newspapers
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. current — happening now
  9. mate — a partner
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. fine — all right
  13. bass — low music
  14. press — to push
  15. kid — to tease
  16. mate — to breed
  17. fine — high quality
  18. race — a contest
  19. race — the arms race
  20. bass — the fish
  21. press — a publisher
  22. race — humankind
  23. kid — child
  24. bass — the instrument

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