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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. ground — crushed
  3. current — electric
  4. row — to paddle
  5. race — the arms race
  6. rock — a stone
  7. current — happening now
  8. row — a line
  9. rock — music
  10. pop — soda
  11. ground — the earth
  12. race — a contest
  13. press — newspapers
  14. current — of water
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. pop — music
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. bore — to drill
  21. ground — a position
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. bore — to tire

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