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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: fan · rock · pit · press · wound · date · current · bark

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. current — electric
  3. press — to push
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. press — newspapers
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pit — in a race
  10. press — a publisher
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. current — happening now
  13. wound — an injury
  14. current — of water
  15. rock — a stone
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. date — the fruit
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. rock — music
  24. pit — a hole

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