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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: press · pit · object · patient · dip · fork

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. 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. press — newspapers
  2. object — an aim
  3. fork — in a road
  4. press — a publisher
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. object — a thing
  7. press — to push
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. object — to protest
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. 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