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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. current — electric
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. pit — a hole
  6. current — happening now
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. row — a line
  11. sharp — clever
  12. press — newspapers
  13. current — of water
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. dip — to sink
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. press — a publisher
  19. perch — the fish
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — a path
  22. press — to push
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. pit — in a race

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