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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: club · current · tube · press · stick · present · bore · bay

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — a gift
  4. current — electric
  5. bore — to drill
  6. current — of water
  7. press — a publisher
  8. tube — the underground
  9. club — a group
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. club — for dancing
  13. tube — a container
  14. press — newspapers
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. present — there
  17. club — for golf
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. press — to push
  23. current — happening now
  24. bore — gave birth

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