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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. present — there
  4. march — the month
  5. press — to push
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. drill — a practice
  9. current — happening now
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. land — ground
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. march — music
  14. current — of water
  15. drill — army training
  16. press — a publisher
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. land — to come down
  21. current — electric
  22. land — a country
  23. march — the month
  24. mouse — for a computer

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