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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.

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: track · rash · current · court · pit · press · face · kick

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. current — of water
  4. track — a path
  5. rash — hasty
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. current — happening now
  10. track — a song
  11. pit — a hole
  12. court — of law
  13. pit — in a race
  14. face — part of the head
  15. press — to push
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — for sport
  18. kick — in football
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rash — a series
  21. face — to confront
  22. press — newspapers
  23. current — electric
  24. rash — on the skin

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