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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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: press · racket · key · straw · staff · ground · patient · dip

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. staff — a stick
  3. staff — employees
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. press — to push
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — for a lock
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. press — a publisher
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. key — in music
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. dip — to sink
  18. key — the most important part
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ground — the earth
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. ground — a position
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. staff — employees

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