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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: club · dip · staff · game · patient · press · key · present

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. key — in music
  4. present — a gift
  5. club — a group
  6. game — a match
  7. club — for golf
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — for a lock
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. game — wild animals
  13. press — newspapers
  14. club — for dancing
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. dip — to sink
  18. press — to push
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — a stick
  21. present — there
  22. staff — employees
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. press — a publisher

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