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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. net — after costs
  5. race — humankind
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. current — of water
  10. net — for catching
  11. current — electric
  12. net — in sport
  13. scale — in music
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. current — happening now
  16. scale — size or range
  17. press — a publisher
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. press — newspapers
  22. press — to push
  23. race — the arms race
  24. race — a contest

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