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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: club · mouse · press · key · pit · branch · sharp · patient

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. club — for dancing
  4. sharp — clever
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — for a lock
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. press — a publisher
  9. key — in music
  10. club — for golf
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. press — newspapers
  14. press — to push
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. key — the most important part
  18. branch — a division
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. club — a group
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. pit — a hole
  24. branch — of a tree

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