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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. press — a publisher
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. press — to push
  8. cap — of ice
  9. press — newspapers
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. bear — the animal
  13. cap — a hat
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pound — a weight
  16. cap — a lid
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. season — in sport
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — of the year
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. patient — a sick person

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