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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mate — to breed
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mate — a partner
  5. object — to protest
  6. press — a publisher
  7. field — farmland
  8. net — in sport
  9. field — for sport
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stand — to bear
  12. club — for dancing
  13. press — to push
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. object — an aim
  17. net — for catching
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. club — for golf
  21. field — a subject
  22. net — after costs
  23. mate — a friend
  24. club — a group

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