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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. current — electric
  5. press — newspapers
  6. press — to push
  7. pit — in a race
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a hole
  11. press — a publisher
  12. bass — low music
  13. current — happening now
  14. degree — temperature
  15. land — to come down
  16. degree — an amount
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. degree — from a university
  19. land — a country
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. land — ground
  22. current — of water
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. patient — a sick person

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