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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: rest · field · suit · current · pit · press · fork · trunk

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. suit — in cards
  3. press — newspapers
  4. fork — in a road
  5. current — electric
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. pit — a hole
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. field — a subject
  11. rest — what's left
  12. field — for sport
  13. press — a publisher
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. suit — to fit
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. rest — a break
  19. pit — in a race
  20. current — happening now
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. field — farmland
  24. suit — clothes

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