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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 120 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
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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: fork · press · mug · bass · patient · court

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — for sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. bass — low music
  8. bass — the fish
  9. press — a publisher
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mug — a face
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a cup
  18. court — of a king

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