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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — newspapers
  3. club — for golf
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. branch — a division
  6. court — of law
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. charge — a price
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. press — a publisher
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. club — for dancing
  14. current — electric
  15. cold — not warm
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. court — of a king
  20. charge — electricity
  21. court — for sport
  22. club — a group
  23. charge — in control
  24. cold — an illness

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