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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: date · current · mark · press · stand · roll · clip · sharp

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. roll — a cake
  3. current — electric
  4. clip — a video
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. press — newspapers
  7. clip — for paper
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mark — a trace
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. sharp — clever
  15. current — happening now
  16. press — to push
  17. date — the fruit
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mark — a grade
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. roll — a list
  23. press — a publisher
  24. stand — to bear

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