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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. bear — the animal
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — electric
  7. bear — the animal
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a list
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. field — for sport
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — to wash
  20. foot — a measure
  21. roll — a cake
  22. current — of water
  23. field — farmland
  24. press — newspapers

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