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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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. field — a subject
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. press — a publisher
  5. swing — to play on
  6. can — a tin
  7. press — newspapers
  8. press — to push
  9. swing — music
  10. can — to be able to
  11. hand — in cards
  12. drill — army training
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — in golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. rock — a stone
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. field — for sport
  19. drill — the tool
  20. field — farmland
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. drill — a practice
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. rock — music

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