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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pop · current · wake · chest · wind · net · pitch · press

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. press — newspapers
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. pitch — completely
  5. wind — moving air
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. press — to push
  8. current — happening now
  9. chest — a box
  10. current — of water
  11. pop — to visit
  12. wake — a trail
  13. net — for catching
  14. pop — soda
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. net — in sport
  17. current — electric
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. net — after costs
  22. pop — music
  23. chest — of your body
  24. wind — moving air

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