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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 116 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: firm · dip · scale · press · patient · suit · trunk · swing

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. swing — in golf
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. press — a publisher
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. press — to push
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. swing — to play on
  10. suit — to fit
  11. firm — a company
  12. dip — to sink
  13. firm — decided
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. swing — music
  21. scale — size or range
  22. suit — in cards
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. press — newspapers

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