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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 120 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: key · press · degree · cue · suit · bore · stick · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. key — for a lock
  3. bore — to drill
  4. cue — for pool
  5. suit — to fit
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. degree — temperature
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bore — to tire
  10. degree — an amount
  11. press — newspapers
  12. key — the most important part
  13. cue — a hint
  14. degree — from a university
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. key — in music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — a publisher
  24. press — to push

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