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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. press — a publisher
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. cue — a signal
  7. prune — to trim
  8. track — a path
  9. press — to push
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. current — happening now
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. cue — for pool
  15. clip — for paper
  16. prune — to trim
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. cue — a hint
  21. press — newspapers
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. track — to keep track
  24. prune — the fruit

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