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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. saw — the tool
  3. saw — the tool
  4. object — an aim
  5. press — newspapers
  6. key — the most important part
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. field — for sport
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. object — a thing
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. press — to push
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. field — a subject
  17. object — to protest
  18. press — a publisher

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