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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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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: firm · craft · press · board · patient · scale

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. press — to push
  4. scale — in music
  5. firm — a company
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. scale — size or range
  8. craft — a skill
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. craft — boats
  13. board — to get on
  14. board — a committee
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. firm — steady
  17. firm — decided
  18. patient — calm and waiting

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