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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 120 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 assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. mug — to rob
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. scale — size or range
  5. court — of law
  6. prune — to trim
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of a king
  10. mug — a face
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. press — newspapers
  13. bass — the fish
  14. prune — the fruit
  15. prune — to trim
  16. fine — high quality
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. press — to push
  19. scale — in music
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. press — a publisher
  22. bass — low music
  23. court — for sport
  24. scale — for weighing

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