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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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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: race · press · chest · current · racket · shower · rock · pass

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. press — to push
  3. press — a publisher
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — to wash
  6. chest — of your body
  7. chest — a box
  8. press — newspapers
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. race — the arms race
  11. current — of water
  12. chest — of your body
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. rock — a stone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — music
  18. race — a contest
  19. shower — rain
  20. pass — a permit
  21. race — humankind
  22. current — happening now
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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