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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: object · firm · fall · current · press · board · pit · present

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. firm — steady
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — happening now
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — a committee
  7. present — the time now
  8. pit — in a race
  9. firm — decided
  10. press — newspapers
  11. press — to push
  12. current — of water
  13. board — to get on
  14. firm — a company
  15. object — an aim
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pit — a hole
  18. object — a thing
  19. present — there
  20. current — electric
  21. fall — the season
  22. fall — to drop
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. fall — to drop

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