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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. ball — a great time
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. race — the arms race
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. press — newspapers
  11. race — humankind
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pit — a hole
  14. ball — a dance
  15. race — a contest
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. current — of water
  18. press — a publisher
  19. current — electric
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. chair — a leader
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — happening now

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