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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: mate · press · present · rule · prune · current · stand · chair

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — to trim
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. current — electric
  8. current — of water
  9. stand — to bear
  10. press — to push
  11. mate — a partner
  12. mate — to breed
  13. present — the time now
  14. mate — a friend
  15. current — happening now
  16. rule — a law
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. present — there
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rule — government
  22. present — a gift
  23. chair — a leader
  24. prune — to trim

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