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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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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 · key · fine · nail · club · press

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. club — for golf
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. key — in music
  6. fine — high quality
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. press — a publisher
  12. key — for a lock
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. club — a group
  16. key — the most important part
  17. club — for dancing
  18. nail — for a hammer

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