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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. firm — steady
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. drill — the tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — to push
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. can — a tin
  11. firm — a company
  12. press — a publisher
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. can — to be able to
  16. squash — to crush
  17. drill — a practice
  18. current — electric
  19. firm — decided
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — newspapers
  22. squash — the sport
  23. drill — army training
  24. ball — a great time

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