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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: pit · suit · stick · press · craft · bank · bass · patient

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. craft — a skill
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. press — newspapers
  5. bank — for money
  6. suit — in cards
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. bass — low music
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — boats
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. suit — to fit
  18. suit — clothes
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bass — the fish
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. pit — in a race
  23. press — to push
  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