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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. current — electric
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. object — a thing
  9. tube — the underground
  10. press — a publisher
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. current — of water
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. season — of the year
  15. tube — a container
  16. pitch — completely
  17. press — newspapers
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. current — happening now
  23. season — in sport
  24. object — an aim

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