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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.

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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: jam · patient · cabinet · board · press · saw · game · band

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. jam — in traffic
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. band — a ring
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. saw — the tool
  10. press — to push
  11. game — a match
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. game — wild animals
  15. board — a committee
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. press — a publisher
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. board — to get on
  24. band — a music group

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