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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. season — of the year
  5. track — a song
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — of law
  12. can — a tin
  13. current — happening now
  14. court — for sport
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. current — of water
  17. board — a committee
  18. can — a tin
  19. bat — the animal
  20. can — to be able to
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. current — electric
  23. board — to get on
  24. press — to push

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