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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 ________________ the button?
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. scale — in music
  3. swing — to play on
  4. swing — music
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. current — of water
  8. press — a publisher
  9. current — electric
  10. scale — size or range
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. swing — in golf
  14. chip — to eat
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — completely
  17. bank — of a river
  18. chip — for betting
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. current — happening now
  24. bank — for money

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