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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. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pop — to visit
  4. pop — music
  5. staff — a stick
  6. spell — letters
  7. spell — magic
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — soda
  10. staff — employees
  11. bass — low music
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. press — newspapers
  14. staff — employees
  15. press — to push
  16. current — happening now
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bass — the fish
  21. current — of water
  22. spell — a short time
  23. cap — a lid
  24. cap — a hat

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