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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. drill — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. game — a match
  5. current — electric
  6. game — wild animals
  7. current — of water
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. press — newspapers
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of a king
  15. drill — a practice
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bulb — for light
  20. drill — army training
  21. current — happening now
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. bulb — for light

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