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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: board · suit · roll · tube · patient · pitcher · rest · press

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. press — newspapers
  3. roll — a cake
  4. suit — in cards
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. suit — to fit
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. board — a committee
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. suit — clothes
  15. tube — the underground
  16. rest — what's left
  17. roll — a list
  18. press — a publisher
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. press — to push
  23. tube — a container
  24. 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