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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. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. cue — a hint
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — goods
  7. press — a publisher
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. object — an aim
  10. press — newspapers
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. net — in sport
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. net — after costs
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. band — a music group
  20. net — for catching
  21. object — a thing
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. object — to protest
  24. patient — a sick person

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