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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: season · stem · bore · press · current · club · tube · pitcher

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. press — a publisher
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bore — to tire
  5. season — of the year
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. press — newspapers
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. current — happening now
  11. tube — a container
  12. stem — to come from
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. current — of water
  15. club — a group
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. tube — the underground
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. current — electric
  21. season — in sport
  22. press — to push
  23. bore — to drill
  24. club — for golf

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