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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: fine · march · firm · pop · rest · current · wake · press

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. march — the month
  3. current — of water
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. firm — steady
  6. press — a publisher
  7. rest — what's left
  8. press — to push
  9. rest — what's left
  10. wake — a trail
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. firm — decided
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — high quality
  15. current — electric
  16. fine — all right
  17. pop — to visit
  18. rest — a break
  19. march — the month
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. press — newspapers
  22. firm — a company
  23. pop — music
  24. march — music

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