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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pit · fine · patient · capital · temple · press · charge · mug

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. capital — a city
  3. charge — in control
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — to push
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. pit — a hole
  8. capital — money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. charge — a price
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. fine — all right
  15. mug — a cup
  16. press — a publisher
  17. press — newspapers
  18. charge — electricity
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. mug — a face
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. pit — in a race
  24. fine — high quality

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