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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. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. field — farmland
  3. stem — to come from
  4. track — a path
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. mine — for digging
  9. field — for sport
  10. press — newspapers
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. mate — to breed
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. track — to keep track
  18. press — to push
  19. track — a song
  20. kick — in football
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. mate — a partner
  23. field — a subject
  24. press — a publisher

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