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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. press — newspapers
  5. field — farmland
  6. scale — in music
  7. current — of water
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. press — a publisher
  10. field — for sport
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. current — electric
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. press — to push
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. scale — size or range
  21. current — happening now
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. scale — for weighing

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