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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 120 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: press · kick · current · craft · stand · chip

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. current — electric
  5. press — newspapers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — in football
  8. press — to push
  9. craft — a skill
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chip — to eat
  12. current — happening now
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. current — of water
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. chip — for betting
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. press — a publisher

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