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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: rock · temple · ground · chest · patient · press · season · game

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. ground — crushed
  3. game — wild animals
  4. season — of the year
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. chest — a box
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. ground — a position
  11. press — to push
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. chest — of your body
  15. season — in sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rock — music
  19. chest — of your body
  20. press — a publisher
  21. press — newspapers
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. game — a match
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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