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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. field — for sport
  3. can — to be able to
  4. press — newspapers
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. clip — a video
  7. can — a tin
  8. band — a ring
  9. field — farmland
  10. press — to push
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — of the year
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. press — a publisher
  16. clip — to cut
  17. clip — for paper
  18. cue — for pool
  19. cue — a hint
  20. can — a tin
  21. cue — a signal
  22. band — a music group
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. season — in sport

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