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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: press · pit · swing · current · file · calf · stock · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. David sat on the ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. press — to push
  3. stock — shares
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. swing — in golf
  8. pit — in a race
  9. press — newspapers
  10. stock — goods
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. swing — music
  13. current — electric
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. pit — a hole
  16. swing — to play on
  17. file — a document
  18. current — happening now
  19. current — of water
  20. file — a tool
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. file — a line of people
  23. press — a publisher
  24. calf — of the leg

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