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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 116 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. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the button?
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. press — a publisher
  2. chip — to eat
  3. field — a subject
  4. last — to go on
  5. field — for sport
  6. press — to push
  7. chip — for betting
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — final
  11. press — newspapers
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. key — the most important part
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. deal — to handle
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. key — for a lock
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. last — finally
  22. field — farmland
  23. key — in music
  24. ruler — for measuring

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