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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: press · patient · capital · tube · craft · degree

  1. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. tube — the underground
  4. degree — an amount
  5. tube — a container
  6. press — newspapers
  7. press — to push
  8. capital — a city
  9. degree — from a university
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. capital — money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. degree — temperature
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. craft — a skill
  18. craft — boats

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