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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. When was this ________________ built?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. current — electric
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. current — happening now
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. present — a gift
  9. press — to push
  10. wax — to grow
  11. temple — side of the head
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. present — the time now
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. present — there
  19. press — a publisher
  20. mug — a face
  21. press — newspapers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. mug — a cup

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