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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. game — wild animals
  3. press — to push
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. firm — decided
  6. game — a match
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. firm — steady
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. last — final
  12. press — newspapers
  13. object — an aim
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. last — finally
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. press — a publisher
  19. last — to go on
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a committee
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. firm — a company

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