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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: stick · patient · swing · cell · track · pop · press · chair

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — newspapers
  3. pop — music
  4. track — to keep track
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pop — to visit
  7. swing — to play on
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. cell — in biology
  10. press — a publisher
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. track — a song
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. track — a path
  15. swing — music
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. swing — in golf
  21. press — to push
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cell — a phone
  24. pop — soda

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