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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: key · roll · press · degree · pop · patient · current · fine

  1. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. fine — high quality
  3. current — happening now
  4. press — a publisher
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. pop — to visit
  7. fine — all right
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. press — newspapers
  10. degree — temperature
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. pop — music
  13. current — electric
  14. key — for a lock
  15. roll — a cake
  16. key — the most important part
  17. pop — soda
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. degree — from a university
  20. roll — a list
  21. press — to push
  22. current — of water
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. degree — an amount

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