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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. current — happening now
  3. sharp — clever
  4. present — a gift
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. wound — an injury
  8. pop — soda
  9. press — to push
  10. press — newspapers
  11. board — a committee
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. pop — to visit
  15. current — of water
  16. current — electric
  17. present — there
  18. wound — an injury
  19. pop — music
  20. present — the time now
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. board — to get on
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. press — a publisher

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