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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: mine · press · calf · current · board · prune · object · ball

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. prune — to trim
  5. current — electric
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. prune — to trim
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. ball — a dance
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. current — of water
  13. board — a committee
  14. object — a thing
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. press — to push
  17. mine — for digging
  18. press — newspapers
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. current — happening now
  22. board — to get on
  23. object — an aim
  24. ball — a great time

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