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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. pound — a weight
  7. current — happening now
  8. firm — a company
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. press — newspapers
  11. track — a song
  12. current — of water
  13. track — a path
  14. stem — to come from
  15. press — to push
  16. current — electric
  17. wind — moving air
  18. firm — decided
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. track — to keep track
  21. wind — moving air
  22. club — for golf
  23. firm — steady
  24. pound — to hit hard

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