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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.

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: patient · pop · press · cell · board · present

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. board — to get on
  4. press — to push
  5. present — the time now
  6. press — a publisher
  7. pop — to visit
  8. cell — in biology
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — music
  11. press — newspapers
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cell — a phone
  14. board — a committee
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. pop — soda
  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