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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: chip · stand · net · calf · tear · press · mark · current

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — for catching
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. tear — to rip
  7. tear — from crying
  8. press — newspapers
  9. current — electric
  10. current — of water
  11. mark — a grade
  12. chip — to eat
  13. press — to push
  14. tear — from crying
  15. stand — to bear
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. mark — a trace
  22. net — after costs
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — a young animal

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