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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 function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — to push
  5. suit — clothes
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. charge — in control
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. charge — a price
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. suit — in cards
  12. press — a publisher
  13. suit — to fit
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — in a road
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. charge — electricity
  21. date — the fruit
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. staff — a stick

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