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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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. 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. rash — a series
  2. foot — a measure
  3. field — for sport
  4. field — farmland
  5. suit — to fit
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. press — newspapers
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. rash — hasty
  11. fall — the season
  12. press — to push
  13. fall — to drop
  14. suit — in cards
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. suit — clothes
  19. chair — a leader
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. field — a subject
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. 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