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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. wake — a trail
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. snap — to click
  5. cue — a signal
  6. current — happening now
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — shares
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. current — of water
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stock — goods
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bat — the animal
  23. press — to push
  24. cue — for pool

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