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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. current — electric
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. suit — clothes
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. press — to push
  11. chair — a leader
  12. wind — moving air
  13. fork — in a road
  14. press — newspapers
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. suit — in cards
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bass — the fish
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. wind — moving air
  23. current — of water
  24. suit — to fit

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