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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — a cup
  3. firm — decided
  4. game — wild animals
  5. row — to paddle
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. firm — a company
  9. press — to push
  10. pound — a weight
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. press — a publisher
  13. game — a match
  14. press — newspapers
  15. court — of law
  16. court — of a king
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. row — a line
  21. court — for sport
  22. firm — steady
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mug — to rob

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