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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 116 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. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — to push
  3. root — of a word
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — soda
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. press — a publisher
  10. press — newspapers
  11. ground — a position
  12. deal — to handle
  13. ground — the earth
  14. root — of a plant
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. pit — a hole
  17. stand — to bear
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pop — to visit
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. root — the cause
  22. ground — crushed
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — music

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