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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 120 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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. field — farmland
  3. press — newspapers
  4. mug — to rob
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. press — a publisher
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. wind — moving air
  10. object — to protest
  11. chip — for betting
  12. chip — to eat
  13. object — an aim
  14. mug — a face
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. scale — size or range
  19. object — a thing
  20. wind — moving air
  21. field — for sport
  22. mug — a cup
  23. press — to push
  24. squash — to crush

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