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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. press — a publisher
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. current — happening now
  6. court — of a king
  7. press — newspapers
  8. court — for sport
  9. root — of a word
  10. current — of water
  11. court — of law
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. root — of a plant
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — the cause
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. wound — an injury
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. press — to push

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