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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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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: current · plane · jam · last · pound · kick · pit · press

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. current — of water
  5. last — to go on
  6. last — final
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — happening now
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. press — newspapers
  14. last — finally
  15. current — electric
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. pit — a hole
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. press — to push
  21. pit — in a race
  22. plane — a tool
  23. pound — a weight
  24. kick — in football

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