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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. court — of a king
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. press — a publisher
  5. press — newspapers
  6. pass — a permit
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. wound — an injury
  13. court — for sport
  14. wound — an injury
  15. court — of law
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. press — to push
  21. field — a subject
  22. field — farmland
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. field — for sport

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