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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.

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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: press · club · wave · file · patient · charge · pit · racket

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. charge — in control
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. charge — a price
  5. file — a document
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. pit — in a race
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. file — a line of people
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — for golf
  15. file — a tool
  16. press — newspapers
  17. charge — electricity
  18. pit — a hole
  19. press — to push
  20. club — a group
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. press — a publisher
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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