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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 124 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. current — happening now
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. current — of water
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — to push
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. clip — for paper
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — newspapers
  12. firm — steady
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. pit — a hole
  15. clip — to cut
  16. pound — a weight
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. clip — a video
  19. firm — a company
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — in a race
  23. current — electric
  24. firm — decided

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