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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. rule — a law
  7. rule — government
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. track — to keep track
  12. press — to push
  13. track — a path
  14. cap — a hat
  15. board — a committee
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. board — to get on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. cap — of ice
  20. track — a song
  21. press — newspapers
  22. season — in sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. press — a publisher

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