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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. Did you ________________ the button?
  2. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. press — to push
  2. press — a publisher
  3. press — newspapers
  4. pound — a weight
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. track — a song
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. track — a path
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. saw — the tool
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. wind — moving air
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. rush — hurry
  20. field — a subject
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. track — to keep track
  23. wind — moving air
  24. pound — for dogs

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