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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: stick · clip · racket · date · bark · pitcher · press · current

  1. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. 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. clip — for paper
  2. current — electric
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. press — newspapers
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. current — happening now
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. date — the fruit
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. press — to push
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. 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