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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: file · wind · press · patient · pound · object · scale · content

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. press — to push
  6. wind — moving air
  7. scale — in music
  8. object — a thing
  9. content — the amount
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. press — newspapers
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. press — a publisher
  16. object — an aim
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. wind — moving air
  19. file — a tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. content — happy
  22. file — a document
  23. object — to protest
  24. scale — size or range

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