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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: pitcher · track · current · rest · press · bat · wave · mine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. track — a path
  3. current — happening now
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. current — of water
  7. track — to keep track
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — what's left
  11. press — newspapers
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. current — electric
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. bat — the animal
  17. rest — a break
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. press — a publisher
  20. press — to push
  21. rest — what's left
  22. track — a song
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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