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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 was a fun ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. game — a match
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cap — of ice
  8. current — happening now
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. game — wild animals
  11. current — electric
  12. cap — a hat
  13. bark — to shout
  14. press — to push
  15. cap — a lid
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. press — a publisher
  19. current — of water
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. trunk — of a tree
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. wake — a trail

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