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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. current — of water
  3. press — to push
  4. root — of a plant
  5. present — there
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. can — a tin
  9. current — electric
  10. present — a gift
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. can — to be able to
  13. root — the cause
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. can — a tin
  19. current — happening now
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. present — the time now
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. root — of a word

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