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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.

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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: prune · fall · rule · press · swing · pitch · current · patient

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. rule — a law
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. swing — music
  6. current — happening now
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. swing — to play on
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — completely
  14. prune — to trim
  15. current — of water
  16. press — newspapers
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. rule — government
  19. current — electric
  20. press — to push
  21. press — a publisher
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. swing — in golf
  24. prune — to trim

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