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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. field — for sport
  4. staff — a stick
  5. press — a publisher
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bank — for money
  8. press — newspapers
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. staff — employees
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. rule — a law
  15. staff — employees
  16. press — to push
  17. rule — government
  18. field — a subject

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