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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — government
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. wake — a trail
  8. rule — a law
  9. press — to push
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. track — a song
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. track — to keep track
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. track — a path
  22. current — of water
  23. press — a publisher
  24. trunk — of a tree

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