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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: chip · press · stick · patient · ruler · wake · tube · ground

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. tube — the underground
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. press — a publisher
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. wake — a trail
  9. ground — the earth
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tube — a container
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — crushed
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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