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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. file — a line of people
  3. press — newspapers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. press — to push
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. field — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. file — a tool
  14. field — farmland
  15. press — a publisher
  16. file — a document
  17. mine — for digging
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. field — a subject
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. mine — an explosive

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