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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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. fine — all right
  3. press — to push
  4. press — a publisher
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. can — a tin
  8. net — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. net — for catching
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. can — a tin
  15. net — after costs
  16. board — to get on
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. date — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. press — newspapers
  24. sharp — clever

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