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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — to push
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. ball — a great time
  7. press — newspapers
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. swing — in golf
  12. ball — a dance
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. pit — in a race
  15. current — of water
  16. swing — to play on
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the fish
  20. current — happening now
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. swing — music
  24. current — electric

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