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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  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. press — a publisher
  2. press — to push
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. field — for sport
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. squash — to crush
  7. field — a subject
  8. press — newspapers
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — to bear
  13. squash — the sport
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. rock — a stone
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. field — farmland
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. coach — a trainer
  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