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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.

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 · board · pitcher · saw · patient · toast · pass · charge

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. saw — the tool
  3. toast — bread
  4. charge — a price
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — a publisher
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. board — a committee
  13. board — to get on
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. charge — in control
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. pass — a permit
  20. charge — electricity
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. saw — the tool
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pitcher — a jug

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