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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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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. field — a subject
  3. spring — a coil
  4. press — to push
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. season — in sport
  7. field — for sport
  8. press — newspapers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. rush — hurry
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spring — of water
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — government
  19. rule — a law
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. press — a publisher
  22. season — of the year
  23. field — farmland
  24. rule — to rule out

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