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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. scale — size or range
  4. firm — a company
  5. press — to push
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. last — final
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mate — a friend
  10. current — of water
  11. mate — to breed
  12. last — to go on
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. current — electric
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. current — happening now
  17. firm — steady
  18. press — a publisher
  19. firm — decided
  20. game — a match
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — finally
  23. scale — in music
  24. mate — a partner

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