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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. squash — the sport
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rash — hasty
  8. mug — a cup
  9. bass — low music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. squash — to crush
  12. press — to push
  13. suit — to fit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. mug — to rob
  16. press — a publisher
  17. suit — in cards
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. bass — the fish
  20. press — newspapers
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mug — a face
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rash — a series

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