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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. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. fork — in a road
  3. track — a path
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. bass — the fish
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — electric
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. current — happening now
  10. bass — low music
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. track — to keep track
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. track — a song
  20. bear — the animal
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. current — of water
  24. bass — the instrument

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