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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. charge — a price
  3. chip — to eat
  4. press — to push
  5. spring — the season
  6. spring — of water
  7. bass — low music
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — happening now
  10. rock — a stone
  11. charge — electricity
  12. bass — the fish
  13. spring — a coil
  14. chip — for betting
  15. current — of water
  16. rock — music
  17. press — a publisher
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. charge — in control
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. season — in sport
  24. season — of the year

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