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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: cold · deal · tube · jam · patient · fine · press · cue

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. press — to push
  4. cue — a hint
  5. deal — to handle
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. cue — a signal
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fine — all right
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. tube — the underground
  16. cold — not warm
  17. press — a publisher
  18. tube — a container
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cold — an illness
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. press — newspapers
  24. cue — for pool

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