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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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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: stick · pit · press · branch · bat · patient · scale · safe

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. scale — in music
  4. pit — a hole
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. branch — a division
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pit — in a race
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. press — a publisher
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. press — newspapers
  20. branch — of a tree
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — out of danger

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