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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: squash · present · racket · current · last · march · press · swing

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. press — a publisher
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. swing — to play on
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. press — newspapers
  10. present — there
  11. last — finally
  12. march — the month
  13. swing — music
  14. swing — in golf
  15. last — to go on
  16. present — a gift
  17. current — happening now
  18. last — final
  19. squash — to crush
  20. current — electric
  21. squash — the sport
  22. press — to push
  23. current — of water
  24. present — the time now

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