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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: bore · date · roll · row · key · current · press · stand

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. press — newspapers
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to drill
  10. stand — to bear
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — in music
  13. current — happening now
  14. row — to paddle
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. roll — a list
  17. roll — a cake
  18. key — the most important part
  19. bore — to tire
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. press — to push
  22. date — the fruit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. row — a line

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