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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: pit · press · patient · nail · bark · mine · chip · calf

  1. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. press — newspapers
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — to shout
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. chip — to eat
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. nail — for a hammer

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