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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: patient · last · racket · pass · press · prune · cold · pound

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. press — a publisher
  4. prune — to trim
  5. last — to go on
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. press — to push
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. press — newspapers
  11. last — final
  12. cold — an illness
  13. last — finally
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. prune — to trim
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. cold — not warm
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. cold — the Cold War
  24. pass — to succeed

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