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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: press · band · current · patient · fork · present

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. band — a ring
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. fork — in a road
  6. present — there
  7. present — the time now
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. current — of water
  10. present — a gift
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. current — electric
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — to push
  18. current — happening now

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