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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 116 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: club · land · swing · stand · current · press · stick · lean

  1. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. current — electric
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. press — a publisher
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. land — to come down
  6. press — to push
  7. land — ground
  8. land — a country
  9. current — happening now
  10. club — for dancing
  11. swing — to play on
  12. stand — to bear
  13. lean — thin
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. swing — in golf
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. current — of water
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. club — a group
  20. swing — music
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. press — newspapers
  23. club — for golf
  24. lean — to bend

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