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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: fork · pound · mine · current · lie · band · press · chip

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. press — newspapers
  4. current — electric
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. band — a ring
  8. mine — for digging
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pound — a weight
  12. lie — to recline
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. current — happening now
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chip — for betting
  17. band — a music group
  18. press — to push
  19. current — of water
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. chip — to eat
  22. fork — in a road
  23. press — a publisher
  24. mine — belonging to me

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