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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. rock — a stone
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — to push
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. degree — an amount
  8. bound — certain
  9. degree — temperature
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. degree — from a university
  12. rule — a law
  13. press — newspapers
  14. rule — government
  15. rock — music
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. current — of water
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. scale — in music
  21. bound — obliged
  22. current — happening now
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bound — tied together

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