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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: drill · press · chip · patient · field · ground · rest · key

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — a subject
  4. ground — a position
  5. press — newspapers
  6. drill — a practice
  7. drill — army training
  8. chip — to eat
  9. key — for a lock
  10. chip — for betting
  11. press — to push
  12. field — farmland
  13. drill — the tool
  14. press — a publisher
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — crushed
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. field — for sport
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — what's left
  21. key — the most important part
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. rest — a break

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