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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.

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: fine · patient · press · stick · spell · chip · pitch · pop

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. press — to push
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — a publisher
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pop — to visit
  9. fine — high quality
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. chip — to eat
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. pop — soda
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. press — newspapers
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. fine — all right
  20. spell — a short time
  21. pop — music
  22. pitch — completely
  23. chip — for betting
  24. spell — magic

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