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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 116 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. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. lean — to bend
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. scale — in music
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — for catching
  12. current — electric
  13. press — to push
  14. press — a publisher
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. scale — size or range
  18. press — newspapers
  19. lean — thin
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. wake — before a funeral

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