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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
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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: press · fan · date · mug · patient · bass · scale · land

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  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. bass — the fish
  2. mug — a cup
  3. land — a country
  4. press — a publisher
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. mug — to rob
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. land — ground
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. scale — size or range
  11. press — to push
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. mug — a face
  14. land — to come down
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bass — low music
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. scale — in music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. press — newspapers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. scale — for weighing
  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