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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Did you ________________ the button?

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pit — a hole
  7. field — a subject
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. stand — to bear
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pit — in a race
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. press — newspapers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  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