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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 · fan · present · content · current · press · net · bank

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. bank — of a river
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — to push
  5. present — a gift
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. press — a publisher
  8. current — electric
  9. content — the amount
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. current — of water
  13. bank — for money
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — in sport
  16. bank — for money
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rest — a break
  19. rest — what's left
  20. present — the time now
  21. net — for catching
  22. content — happy
  23. rest — what's left
  24. press — newspapers

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