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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: hand · press · band · stand · trunk · current · present · pit

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pit — a hole
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. press — newspapers
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. current — electric
  8. stand — to bear
  9. present — a gift
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. present — the time now
  12. hand — help
  13. band — a music group
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. band — a ring
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — in cards
  20. current — happening now
  21. current — of water
  22. press — to push
  23. present — there
  24. band — a rubber band

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