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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 120 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. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The tickets are free of ________________.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. charge — in control
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pit — in a race
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. press — to push
  15. press — a publisher
  16. foot — a measure
  17. band — a ring
  18. field — for sport
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. band — a music group
  21. pit — a hole
  22. field — a subject
  23. charge — a price
  24. press — newspapers

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