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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. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. current — of water
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a document
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. snap — to click
  12. press — to push
  13. press — newspapers
  14. file — a tool
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. current — happening now
  21. press — a publisher
  22. prune — to trim
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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