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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 · fine · cue · net · suit · drill · cell · press

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. drill — army training
  3. cue — for pool
  4. drill — a practice
  5. suit — to fit
  6. press — a publisher
  7. press — to push
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. fine — high quality
  10. net — after costs
  11. cue — a hint
  12. drill — the tool
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. fine — all right
  17. suit — in cards
  18. cell — a phone
  19. cell — in biology
  20. net — for catching
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. suit — clothes
  24. press — newspapers

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