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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: march · lie · current · present · press · nail · chip · pitcher

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — a publisher
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. chip — to eat
  7. chip — for betting
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. present — there
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. current — of water
  13. lie — to recline
  14. march — music
  15. march — the month
  16. present — a gift
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. press — newspapers
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. present — the time now
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. press — to push

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