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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 120 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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. press — a publisher
  3. pass — a permit
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — of a king
  7. object — a thing
  8. press — newspapers
  9. court — of law
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cap — of ice
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. can — to be able to
  15. snap — to click
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. object — to protest
  19. press — to push
  20. cap — a hat
  21. court — for sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. cap — a lid
  24. can — a tin

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