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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 124 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bat — the animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. current — of water
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. snap — to click
  14. current — electric
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. current — happening now
  18. perch — the fish
  19. press — newspapers
  20. scale — in music
  21. press — to push
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. scale — size or range

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