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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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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: press · pass · kick · game · band · patient · stick · foot

  1. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. kick — in football
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. band — a music group
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pass — a permit
  12. game — a match
  13. foot — a measure
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. press — newspapers
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a ring
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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