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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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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: pound · stand · current · scale · press · spell · patient · net

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. spell — magic
  3. scale — in music
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. current — of water
  8. current — electric
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. press — a publisher
  12. net — for catching
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. press — newspapers
  17. current — happening now
  18. net — after costs
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. stand — to bear
  22. spell — letters
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — for spectators

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