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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. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. charge — a price
  3. field — farmland
  4. field — a subject
  5. field — for sport
  6. charge — in control
  7. race — a contest
  8. suit — to fit
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. press — a publisher
  12. charge — electricity
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. race — the arms race
  15. press — to push
  16. press — newspapers
  17. rash — a series
  18. race — humankind
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. rash — hasty
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. suit — in cards
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. pop — music

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