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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. current — happening now
  3. spell — a short time
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. press — to push
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. current — of water
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. field — a subject
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. current — electric
  18. spell — magic
  19. press — newspapers
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. club — for dancing
  23. spell — letters
  24. pound — a weight

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