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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: drill · nail · pit · current · land · date · press · mate

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. current — electric
  3. press — a publisher
  4. land — to come down
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — army training
  8. current — happening now
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. press — newspapers
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. press — to push
  13. date — the fruit
  14. mate — a partner
  15. pit — in a race
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. drill — a practice
  18. pit — a hole
  19. land — a country
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. mate — a friend
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. land — ground
  24. current — of water

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