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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: press · patient · staff · present · kick · scale

  1. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. press — to push
  6. scale — size or range
  7. staff — a stick
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — there
  11. staff — employees
  12. kick — in football
  13. press — newspapers
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. press — a publisher
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — a gift
  18. staff — employees

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