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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 120 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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cue — a hint
  3. staff — employees
  4. field — a subject
  5. cue — a signal
  6. press — newspapers
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — after costs
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cue — for pool
  12. current — electric
  13. press — to push
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. staff — employees
  17. field — farmland
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. field — for sport
  21. can — a tin
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. nail — on a finger

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