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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: band · bulb · game · scale · patient · press · rush · cabinet

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. band — a music group
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — hurry
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — size or range
  16. game — a match
  17. press — a publisher
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. band — a ring
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. press — newspapers
  23. game — wild animals
  24. scale — in music

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