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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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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: patient · press · pit · chest · charge · suit · stick · prune

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. press — a publisher
  3. suit — to fit
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. suit — clothes
  6. pit — a hole
  7. press — newspapers
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pit — in a race
  11. charge — in control
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. chest — of your body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. chest — of your body
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. chest — a box
  20. charge — a price
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — to push
  24. charge — electricity

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