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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. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. press — newspapers
  2. field — a subject
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. field — farmland
  5. ball — a dance
  6. press — a publisher
  7. land — a country
  8. land — ground
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. ball — a great time
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. perch — the fish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. season — in sport
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. press — to push
  20. season — of the year
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. land — to come down
  23. field — for sport
  24. perch — for a bird

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