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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: scale · patient · shower · chip · last · suit · mate · press

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. scale — in music
  3. press — newspapers
  4. press — to push
  5. last — final
  6. chip — to eat
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. mate — to breed
  10. scale — size or range
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. shower — rain
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. mate — a partner
  16. suit — in cards
  17. last — finally
  18. press — a publisher
  19. mate — a friend
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. suit — clothes
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. last — to go on
  24. chip — for betting

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