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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. band — a ring
  3. scale — in music
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. present — there
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. press — newspapers
  8. scale — size or range
  9. press — to push
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. current — happening now
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. present — the time now
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. band — a music group
  16. current — of water
  17. current — electric
  18. press — a publisher
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. sharp — clever
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. sharp — exactly

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