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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: rock · craft · pass · press · track · patient · fan · file

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. press — a publisher
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. craft — boats
  5. track — a path
  6. file — a document
  7. track — a song
  8. rock — a stone
  9. press — to push
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. file — a line of people
  12. pass — a permit
  13. rock — music
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. file — a tool
  19. craft — a skill
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. press — newspapers

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