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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: current · bat · spring · cue · nail · press · suit · sharp

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. cue — a hint
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. press — newspapers
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. cue — a signal
  10. press — a publisher
  11. press — to push
  12. current — electric
  13. current — of water
  14. spring — of water
  15. cue — for pool
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. suit — clothes
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. bat — the animal
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. suit — in cards

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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