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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 116 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: pass · press · patient · pitcher · track · rash · mine · fan

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. track — to keep track
  7. pass — a permit
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. press — to push
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. mine — for digging
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. track — a path
  19. press — a publisher
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — newspapers
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — on the skin

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