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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. press — newspapers
  3. last — final
  4. current — electric
  5. sharp — clever
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. cell — in biology
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. last — to go on
  14. last — finally
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — a publisher
  22. cell — a phone
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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