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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: tube · kick · bowl · pit · bore · press · key · patient

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. key — in music
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. key — for a lock
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. key — the most important part
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. press — newspapers
  11. kick — in football
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. bore — to drill
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. press — a publisher
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tube — a container
  21. pit — in a race
  22. bore — to tire
  23. press — to push
  24. tube — the underground

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