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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: pitch · file · press · bay · bound · jam · spring · patient

  1. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — a coil
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spring — of water
  7. bound — certain
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. press — to push
  13. pitch — completely
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bound — tied together
  16. press — newspapers
  17. file — a line of people
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. file — a document
  20. spring — the season
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bound — obliged
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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