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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.

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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: press · bore · land · club · wave · date · present · current

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. club — for golf
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. current — electric
  5. present — there
  6. land — ground
  7. bore — to drill
  8. present — the time now
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. bore — to tire
  12. date — the fruit
  13. club — a group
  14. current — of water
  15. land — a country
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — happening now
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. present — a gift
  21. press — to push
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — for dancing

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