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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.

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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
468
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: racket · pitcher · press · cue · rule · patient · current · bank

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. bank — for money
  4. cue — for pool
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. press — to push
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. rule — a law
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — happening now
  13. rule — government
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. press — newspapers
  16. current — of water
  17. cue — a hint
  18. bank — for money
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. press — a publisher
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a signal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bank — of a river

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