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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. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the button?
  3. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. field — for sport
  2. press — to push
  3. stem — of a plant
  4. game — a match
  5. press — a publisher
  6. field — farmland
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. fine — high quality
  9. charge — electricity
  10. game — wild animals
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. charge — a price
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. ball — a dance
  15. date — the fruit
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fine — all right
  18. field — a subject
  19. ball — a great time
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. press — newspapers
  24. charge — in control

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