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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 116 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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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: mouse · race · fork · swing · press · trunk · patient · current

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. press — a publisher
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. race — humankind
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. current — electric
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. race — a contest
  14. swing — to play on
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — of water
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. swing — music
  19. fork — in a road
  20. race — the arms race
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. press — to push
  23. current — happening now
  24. patient — a sick person

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