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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. press — to push
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. bound — certain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. press — newspapers
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. field — a subject
  10. press — a publisher
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. saw — the tool
  13. field — farmland
  14. bark — to shout
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bound — obliged
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. field — for sport
  24. racket — for tennis

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