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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: patient · plane · cabinet · swing · game · net · press · current

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. plane — a tool
  8. current — happening now
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. current — electric
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. press — newspapers
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — after costs
  17. current — of water
  18. press — a publisher
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. net — in sport
  22. net — for catching
  23. press — to push
  24. game — a match

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