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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Did you ________________ the button?
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — a hole
  3. press — to push
  4. object — an aim
  5. object — to protest
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. pop — music
  8. pass — a permit
  9. bear — the animal
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. tear — from crying
  14. press — newspapers
  15. pit — in a race
  16. press — a publisher
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. field — a subject
  20. object — a thing
  21. field — for sport
  22. tear — from crying
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. pop — to visit

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