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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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. press — newspapers
  3. press — to push
  4. club — a group
  5. field — for sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. spell — magic
  12. club — for golf
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. last — finally
  16. bulb — for light
  17. spell — letters
  18. current — electric
  19. field — farmland
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. field — a subject
  23. spell — a short time
  24. last — to go on

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