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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: toast · pit · pass · degree · date · press · patient · fine

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. degree — temperature
  3. pit — in a race
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. pit — a hole
  13. pass — a permit
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. press — a publisher
  16. press — newspapers
  17. degree — an amount
  18. toast — bread
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. press — to push
  21. degree — from a university
  22. fine — high quality
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. patient — a sick person

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