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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. season — of the year
  3. land — a country
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. race — the arms race
  9. press — a publisher
  10. season — in sport
  11. land — ground
  12. current — of water
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. content — happy
  18. press — newspapers
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. race — a contest
  21. land — to come down
  22. content — the amount
  23. race — humankind
  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