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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. spell — magic
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — letters
  6. firm — a company
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — a publisher
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. firm — decided
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. press — to push
  17. content — happy
  18. firm — steady
  19. current — electric
  20. pound — a weight
  21. current — of water
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. content — the amount
  24. current — happening now

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