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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. board — to get on
  3. field — for sport
  4. press — newspapers
  5. season — in sport
  6. saw — the tool
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. board — a committee
  9. press — to push
  10. saw — the tool
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. field — a subject
  13. season — of the year
  14. net — after costs
  15. net — for catching
  16. press — a publisher
  17. branch — a division
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. field — farmland
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. net — in 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