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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: field · fork · current · present · kick · press · suit · mouse

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. current — of water
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. suit — in cards
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. field — for sport
  10. fork — in a road
  11. present — there
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — to fit
  14. current — happening now
  15. suit — clothes
  16. present — a gift
  17. press — a publisher
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. current — electric
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — farmland

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