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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. press — to push
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — certain
  8. degree — an amount
  9. object — a thing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — a box
  13. object — an aim
  14. press — a publisher
  15. craft — boats
  16. bound — obliged
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. current — electric
  21. current — of water
  22. object — to protest
  23. degree — temperature
  24. chest — of your body

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