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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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. current — electric
  3. cell — in biology
  4. field — for sport
  5. press — to push
  6. charge — electricity
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. field — farmland
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. pitch — completely
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — happening now
  15. charge — in control
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. press — newspapers
  22. charge — a price
  23. current — of water
  24. saw — the tool

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