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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: straw · object · jam · press · current · track · ball · bat

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. ball — a dance
  3. press — a publisher
  4. current — electric
  5. object — a thing
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. object — to protest
  8. press — newspapers
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. track — a song
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a path
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bat — the animal
  18. current — happening now
  19. ball — a great time
  20. object — an aim
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. press — to push
  24. current — of water

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