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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: bore · row · press · club · toast · pit · patient · object

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. press — to push
  3. object — a thing
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for golf
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. press — a publisher
  9. press — newspapers
  10. club — for dancing
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — to paddle
  14. pit — in a race
  15. bore — to drill
  16. object — to protest
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. object — an aim
  19. bore — to tire
  20. row — a line
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. toast — bread

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