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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. scale — size or range
  3. bore — to drill
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. press — a publisher
  6. fine — all right
  7. file — a line of people
  8. file — a document
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. current — happening now
  12. scale — in music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. press — newspapers
  15. file — a tool
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. fine — high quality
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bore — to tire
  20. current — of water
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. press — to push

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