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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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. current — electric
  4. saw — the tool
  5. press — newspapers
  6. content — the amount
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. mate — a friend
  12. current — of water
  13. court — for sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mate — a partner
  16. deal — to handle
  17. press — to push
  18. current — happening now
  19. content — happy
  20. mate — to breed
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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