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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. press — newspapers
  4. object — a thing
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. toast — bread
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bass — the fish
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. present — the time now
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. chip — for betting
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. present — a gift
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. press — to push
  19. press — a publisher
  20. bass — the instrument
  21. object — an aim
  22. object — to protest
  23. chip — to eat
  24. bass — low music

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