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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. track — a path
  3. charge — a price
  4. file — a tool
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. charge — in control
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. track — a song
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. press — to push
  13. current — of water
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. sharp — clever
  16. current — electric
  17. file — a document
  18. charge — electricity
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. current — happening now
  22. file — a line of people
  23. rock — music
  24. track — to keep track

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