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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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. press — a publisher
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. scale — size or range
  6. craft — boats
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. drill — army training
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. press — to push
  13. drill — a practice
  14. wound — an injury
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. current — happening now
  18. scale — in music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. craft — a skill
  22. kick — in football
  23. craft — a handicraft
  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