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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. track — a path
  3. press — to push
  4. land — to come down
  5. press — a publisher
  6. land — ground
  7. pit — in a race
  8. net — after costs
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. current — happening now
  13. track — to keep track
  14. land — a country
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. current — of water
  19. net — for catching
  20. track — a song
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. current — electric
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. press — newspapers

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