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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 116 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: club · race · march · calf · press · current · degree · prune

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. prune — to trim
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. prune — to trim
  7. race — humankind
  8. press — to push
  9. march — the month
  10. race — the arms race
  11. club — for golf
  12. degree — from a university
  13. current — electric
  14. degree — temperature
  15. march — the month
  16. press — a publisher
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. current — of water
  19. current — happening now
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. degree — an amount
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. race — a contest
  24. march — music

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