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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — for dancing
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. press — a publisher
  5. current — electric
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. press — newspapers
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. press — to push
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. current — happening now
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. bulb — for light
  19. squash — to crush
  20. saw — the tool
  21. current — of water
  22. bulb — for light
  23. game — wild animals
  24. club — for golf

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