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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. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. firm — decided
  3. bound — certain
  4. press — to push
  5. capital — a city
  6. field — farmland
  7. clip — to cut
  8. press — a publisher
  9. firm — a company
  10. field — for sport
  11. capital — money
  12. bound — obliged
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. clip — for paper
  15. firm — steady
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. bound — tied together
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. press — newspapers
  23. clip — a video
  24. bowl — a football final

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