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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 120 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: wind · patient · cabinet · last · press · root · tube · pitch

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. root — of a word
  3. root — of a plant
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. wind — moving air
  6. last — finally
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. press — newspapers
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. root — the cause
  17. press — to push
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. last — to go on
  20. pitch — completely
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. press — a publisher

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