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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. staff — a stick
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. court — of law
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. field — for sport
  9. staff — employees
  10. field — farmland
  11. press — newspapers
  12. stand — to bear
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rush — hurry
  15. press — to push
  16. rest — what's left
  17. staff — employees
  18. press — a publisher
  19. rest — a break
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. court — for sport
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. court — of a king
  24. coach — a trainer

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