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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. rest — what's left
  3. field — for sport
  4. pass — a permit
  5. prune — to trim
  6. capital — money
  7. field — farmland
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. capital — a city
  14. current — electric
  15. press — a publisher
  16. pit — in a race
  17. current — of water
  18. current — happening now
  19. pit — a hole
  20. press — newspapers
  21. rest — a break
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. prune — to trim
  24. press — to push

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