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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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. field — for sport
  3. object — a thing
  4. stock — shares
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. last — to go on
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stock — goods
  10. craft — boats
  11. object — to protest
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. last — finally
  14. last — final
  15. press — newspapers
  16. field — a subject
  17. field — farmland
  18. craft — a skill
  19. object — an aim
  20. press — to push
  21. lean — thin
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. lean — to bend

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