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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. track — to keep track
  3. current — electric
  4. track — a path
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. bear — the animal
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. file — a document
  13. track — a song
  14. scale — in music
  15. shower — rain
  16. file — a tool
  17. suit — in cards
  18. bear — the animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. file — a line of people
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. press — newspapers
  24. current — of water

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