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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
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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: mug · key · current · rule · land · squash · craft · press

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. current — of water
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — newspapers
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. press — to push
  7. mug — to rob
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mug — a cup
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. key — the most important part
  12. rule — government
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. rule — a law
  15. land — ground
  16. current — electric
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — a country
  19. craft — boats
  20. craft — a skill
  21. key — in music
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mug — a face
  24. squash — the sport

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