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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. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. current — happening now
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — to push
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. current — electric
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — a leader
  12. season — in sport
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mug — a face
  15. saw — the tool
  16. sharp — clever
  17. press — newspapers
  18. mug — to rob
  19. season — of the year
  20. ball — a great time
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — a publisher
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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