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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: staff · racket · game · pit · patient · content · suit · press

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pit — a hole
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. press — to push
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. suit — clothes
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. content — happy
  14. content — the amount
  15. staff — a stick
  16. staff — employees
  17. press — a publisher
  18. pit — in a race
  19. suit — to fit
  20. suit — in cards
  21. game — wild animals
  22. game — a match
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. staff — employees

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