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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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. press — a publisher
  3. current — happening now
  4. rash — hasty
  5. wax — to grow
  6. track — to keep track
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. cap — of ice
  9. track — a path
  10. track — a song
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. current — of water
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. club — for golf
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. press — newspapers
  19. cap — a lid
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. current — electric
  22. cap — a hat
  23. press — to push
  24. rash — a series

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