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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: trunk · patient · press · game · charge · hide · pitcher · cap

  1. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The tickets are free of ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. game — a match
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cap — a hat
  9. press — a publisher
  10. charge — a price
  11. cap — a lid
  12. game — wild animals
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. charge — electricity
  19. cap — of ice
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. charge — in control
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. press — to push
  24. hide — to keep secret

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