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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
468
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 · cell · key · straw · racket · ground · press · jam

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. key — in music
  7. press — newspapers
  8. ground — crushed
  9. current — electric
  10. ground — the earth
  11. press — a publisher
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. key — the most important part
  15. current — happening now
  16. current — of water
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. key — for a lock
  19. press — to push
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. cell — a phone
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. cell — in biology

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