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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: current · board · press · vault · fork · clip · cap · dip

  1. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. current — of water
  2. cap — a lid
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — newspapers
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to sink
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. current — electric
  11. clip — a video
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. board — to get on
  14. current — happening now
  15. cap — of ice
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. vault — a safe
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. board — a committee
  21. clip — to cut
  22. clip — for paper
  23. cap — a hat
  24. dip — to dunk

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