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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
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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: cabinet · tube · track · mug · press · pit · patient · content

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. tube — a container
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mug — a cup
  6. content — the amount
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. track — a song
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. press — to push
  12. content — happy
  13. press — a publisher
  14. mug — to rob
  15. press — newspapers
  16. track — a path
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pit — a hole
  20. tube — the underground
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. track — to keep track
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. cabinet — ministers

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