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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. field — farmland
  3. field — a subject
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. press — newspapers
  7. cap — a hat
  8. capital — a city
  9. press — to push
  10. cap — of ice
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. cap — a lid
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. field — for sport
  19. mark — a grade
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. capital — money
  24. calf — a young animal

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