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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: pound · saw · ball · hand · fine · press · patient · deal

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a great time
  4. pound — a weight
  5. saw — the tool
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. saw — the tool
  8. deal — to handle
  9. ball — a dance
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fine — all right
  17. press — to push
  18. fine — high quality
  19. press — newspapers
  20. press — a publisher
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hand — help
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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