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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: lean · press · current · bank · net · arm · court · pit

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bank — for money
  5. court — of a king
  6. pit — in a race
  7. net — after costs
  8. bank — for money
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. press — to push
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. current — electric
  14. bank — of a river
  15. press — newspapers
  16. net — in sport
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — a publisher
  20. court — for sport
  21. current — of water
  22. net — for catching
  23. lean — thin
  24. court — of law

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