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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. current — of water
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. current — electric
  5. press — newspapers
  6. rush — hurry
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. chair — a leader
  10. net — in sport
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. press — a publisher
  13. net — after costs
  14. ball — a great time
  15. press — to push
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. clip — a video
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. current — happening now
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. net — for catching
  24. ball — a dance

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