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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: swing · present · toast · press · fork · current · spring · deal

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. present — there
  3. spring — a coil
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. press — to push
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. current — of water
  9. current — electric
  10. press — a publisher
  11. fork — in a road
  12. spring — the season
  13. present — the time now
  14. deal — to handle
  15. swing — in golf
  16. spring — of water
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. toast — bread
  19. present — a gift
  20. swing — to play on
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. current — happening now
  24. press — newspapers

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