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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. current — happening now
  3. net — after costs
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — electric
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. press — newspapers
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. charge — in control
  10. mark — a trace
  11. current — of water
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. charge — electricity
  15. press — a publisher
  16. mark — a grade
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. charge — a price
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — final
  21. net — in sport
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. snap — to click
  24. last — finally

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