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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: staff · press · patient · perch · pit · cue · wave · craft

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. cue — for pool
  3. pit — in a race
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. craft — a skill
  7. pit — a hole
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. cue — a hint
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. press — newspapers
  13. press — a publisher
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. staff — employees
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. cue — a signal
  23. staff — a stick
  24. craft — boats

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