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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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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: stick · track · cap · key · patient · press · pitch · race

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. track — a song
  5. cap — a hat
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. cap — a lid
  9. key — the most important part
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — newspapers
  14. key — for a lock
  15. cap — of ice
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — completely
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. race — humankind
  21. press — to push
  22. press — a publisher
  23. track — a path
  24. race — a contest

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