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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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  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. game — wild animals
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — newspapers
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. game — a match
  9. stand — to bear
  10. staff — employees
  11. stem — to come from
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. wake — a trail
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. staff — employees
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — a publisher
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. staff — a stick
  23. press — to push
  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