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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 · current · craft · coach · pit · roll · staff · board

  1. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — a skill
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. craft — boats
  4. current — electric
  5. staff — a stick
  6. board — to get on
  7. staff — employees
  8. pit — a hole
  9. current — happening now
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. board — a committee
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — of water
  17. roll — a cake
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. pit — in a race
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. roll — a list
  24. press — newspapers

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