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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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. field — a subject
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. press — newspapers
  5. press — to push
  6. firm — a company
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. firm — decided
  9. tear — from crying
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. firm — steady
  13. tear — from crying
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bat — the animal
  17. field — farmland
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. field — for sport
  23. tear — to rip
  24. temple — a place of worship

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