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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: content · fork · press · row · rash · patient · pitcher · stand

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. content — the amount
  6. row — a line
  7. rash — a series
  8. row — to paddle
  9. content — happy
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. press — a publisher
  12. fork — in a road
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. rash — hasty
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. press — to push

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