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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 116 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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. file — a line of people
  3. last — finally
  4. content — the amount
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — farmland
  7. last — final
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. cap — a hat
  10. file — a document
  11. cap — a lid
  12. field — a subject
  13. cap — of ice
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. content — happy
  16. file — a tool
  17. current — happening now
  18. field — for sport
  19. press — to push
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rock — music
  22. last — to go on
  23. current — electric
  24. current — of water

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